Demons
by Bri Thinks So
Summary: A darker alternative ending to season 2, starting with episode 6. Princess Eleanor has learned that her ex-bodyguard/ex-lover Jasper had been plotting to steal from the palace the whole time. After hurting her multiple times Eleanor feels like a failure for ever letting him in. Could she ever learn to forgive him? Will her inner demons get to her before she even has the chance?
1. Troubled Love

"We came here to rob you," Jasper tried to catch his breath as he handed the large diamond back into Eleanor's hands. She shook her head in dismay as she gaped at Mandy and Jasper standing before her.

"Then take this, take all of me," Princess Eleanor whispered as she handed her grandmother's diamond earrings to Mandy.

Mandy encouraged Jasper to follow her out of the tunnel and escape with her. Eleanor never left her eyes on him. Jasper broke their stare and immediately chased after Mandy. This confirmed all of the Princess' worst fears. She had been stabbed in the back once again, by someone she trusted.. and by the man who had already done so much to hurt her. She felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

Returning to her birthday party Eleanor took a few more shots of vodka on a tray, perfectly waiting for her. She gazed around at the party full of people with smiles plastered on their face popping bottles of champagne and dancing to the music. These were essentially all strangers to her. None of them were true "friends" to her or Liam. They were only there because they had gained access to a party in the palace where they could drink unlimited free booze.

As the anger grew within the depths of her stomach, Eleanor picked up a lighter from her purse and lit the "Happy Birthday" banner on fire surrounding her. As the fire sprinklers began to spray, the room became doused with water. She could feel the cold mist covering her hair, her face, her birthday dress.

The crowd began to scream and disperse as they slowly let out. As the makeup began to stream down her face, Eleanor let out a scream. "Everybody get the fuck out of my house! You're not welcome here!" She began to sob. "Nobody even cares.." her voice fell to a small whimper as she stared at the floor.

Before she exited the room, she turned around and picked up a fresh tray full of vodka shots and stormed up to her bedroom. She didn't say a single word to anyone, pushing through the crowd and the drenched remains of her birthday party.

Little did Princess Eleanor know that someone was standing in the doorway behind the whole scene, closely watching her. Jasper was holding the diamond earrings that he had retrieved from Mandy after chasing her down. He was too ashamed to approach the princess. He felt his heart race as he watched her actions.

Eleanor kicked the doors of her bedroom open and slammed the tray of shots onto her mini table. Her eyes flooded with tears. She felt so stupid to trust and let someone in as much as she had Mandy. And as much as she did not want to admit it, learning about Jasper's intentions of stealing from the palace and using her as a pawn stung a lot more. How much harm could the man do to her?

She needed to numb herself. She took a shot. She wiped her mascara stained eyes and took another. Rummaging through her usual stash spot, she took out her small box of "goodies" as she liked to call it. Eleanor blissfully popped three MDMA pills in her mouth and chased it with yet another shot. Quickly thereafter, she took out the cocaine.

As she began to form the lines of white powder on her mini mirror, she thought about how much of a naive idiot she had been. No one has ever truly loved her, with the exception of Liam and her father, and why would she be stupid enough to believe otherwise?

Another shot. Everyone either wanted to BE her or steal from her. They never wanted to enjoy the person that she is. And why should they? She was a drug addict, and a borderline alcoholic. Another shot.

Eleanor wiped the tears away for the final time as she stared down at the glass slab holding the powdery lines in front of her. She snorted one line. Another shot. And then another line.

Suddenly, the room began to spin and she started to sweat profusely. She reached for a glass of water and took a small sip. The glass slipped from her hand and crashed onto the wooden floor. She had never felt this way before. The spinning sensation worsened as she stood up and tried to look around the room.

Within the blink of an eye, she saw everything in slow motion as she collapsed onto the table in front her. Everything went black.

Jasper knew that he was the last person that the princess would want to see at the moment. However he felt as though he needed to explain himself and beg for her forgiveness as soon as possible. He would do absolutely anything to gain her trust again.

He passed through the water soaked party that the maintenance team was furiously trying to clean up.

"I'm going to go speak with the princess," Jasper said with a short breath as he passed the Princess' bodyguard, James, in the hallway leading up to her bedroom. James gave a solemn nod.

Jasper could feel his heart racing as his hand grazed the doorknob. After several minutes of pacing back and forth, he finally gave a sharp knock on the door. "Princess, I know you absolutely hate me but you have to let me explain myself." There was no response, which he was already expecting. "Please Len, I promise I will just say what I have to, and you don't ever have to speak to me again if that is truly what you want."

He waited with his forehead pressed against the door for about 2 minutes until he finally mustered up the courage to enter her bedroom. He burst through the doors and lost all of the color in his face. His legs trembled at the sight of what was in front of him. Princess Eleanor laid flat out on top of her cluttered table, with the shot glasses crashed onto the floor.

Jasper darted to her and picked up her limp body into his arms. "Len! Oh no, Len!" he shouted as he cupped her face in his hands. She was completely unresponsive and had cuts and bruises on her face and body presumably from falling on to the table.

"James! Get in here right now, the Princess is in trouble, call an ambulance!" he shouted as he felt warm tears pool into his eyes.


	2. Don't Leave

Her eyelids paced from side to side before fluttering open. A huge bright light was shining in Eleanor's face. Why was she engulfed by such a bright light? Was she dead? What the hell happened last night? She felt a burning sensation in her throat and was more lethargic than she had ever been in her life.

"The princess has awoken!" someone shouted as Eleanor furrowed her eyebrows. She winced at a doctor covered in scrubs hovering over her.

"Get OUT of my goddamn way," she heard a familiar voice hiss. "Eleanor. We thought that we lost you. How could you be so THICK as to-"

"Your highness," a soft voice interrupted Eleanor's mother, Helena, the queen of England. "I understand that you are upset, but it is in the best interest of the princess for everyone to remain calm."

 _What the hell happened last night?_

Eleanor attempted to speak which registered as a scratchy whisper. "Where am I?"

"Darling," her mother attempted to speak in a softer tone. "You went off the rails last night. How _could_ you consume _this_ much at your birthday party? And take it this far? I knew that the party was never a good idea.."

"Mum- do not blame Len," Eleanor heard her brother's voice. "It was both of our party and I should have done a better job of looking after her."

A slight smile came across Eleanor's face as she slowly moved her eyes in Liam's direction. Hearing the warmth and protection of his voice always made her feel safe.

"I deeply apologize your Majesty, Prince Liam.." the doctor chimed in. "But once again, the princess needs to rest, and it would be best if you waited outside for a little while."

Her mother huffed as she picked up her ridiculously expensive handbag and stormed out of the hospital room. Liam planted a soft peck on top of Eleanor's forehead. "I love you Len, you will get through this."

The night before was essentially an enormous blur. She and Liam had thrown a joint birthday party and the night started out great.. her and Mandy got dressed up together.. she wore the huge beautiful diamond that they had taken without permission and made it into a necklace.

And then.. Eleanor felt tears welling up in her eyes but her body didn't have enough energy to cry. _That bitch stole from me. And Jasper plotted against me this whole goddamn time._ She looked around the grim hospital room as the memories painfully flooded back at an exponential pace. She didn't have the energy to think about this, or how she ended up in this depressing hospital room. All she knew is that she needed to sleep.

Hours later the princess woke up, unfortunately to her knowledge, in the same dreary hospital bed. There were nurses pacing in and out of the room checking her vital signs. She looked down at the IV that was placed into her arm.

 _Shit_.. _I really fucked up this time._

"Princess," a voice softly spoke which made Eleanor lightly jump. "Someone is here to see you."

Without any energy to challenge the nurse as to who was her visitor, she remained silent. And then, he entered the room. The six foot man; stunning, tousled brown hair and piercing blue eyes with a mysterious expression on his face entered the room with a bouquet of bright flowers. He was wearing blue jeans and a tight black shirt. He had a solemn look on his face.

Eleanor violently attempted to sit up in her bed but abruptly started coughing and fell back into the pillow. "What. Are. You. Doing. _Here."_ she hissed through her teeth as she met eye contact with him.

Jasper ran his hands through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck as he moved his vision to the ground. "I... I'm-" he trembled as the words came out of his mouth but he couldn't say anything further.

"Get out," Eleanor squeaked as her coarse voice failed her.

"Len.. I just needed to see you, I-"

"Get the FUCK out of here NOW!" she screamed, her voice painfully cracking and hurting her throat.

James Hill promptly entered the room. "Is there a problem here?" he demanded, closely eyeing Jasper.

"No- no, I was just leaving," Jasper whispered as he slammed the bouquet down onto a table next to the door. He quickly showed himself out.

"Your highness," James approached her bed. "Forgive me for asking, but did Mr. Frost do anything to you? I allowed him, thankfully in retrospect, to enter your bedroom. He looked distraught.. as did you when you entered your room."

This brought back another wave of memories. The numerous vodka shots, the ecstasy.. the cocaine. She began to feel sick to her stomach as she quickly snapped out of it and gave James a warm smile.

She shook her head. "Nothing for you to be concerned about Mr. Hill," Eleanor spoke attempting to steer from the bullshit. She could tell that James did not believe her.

"Alright then. I will be outside this door and beside you as long as you need me," James nodded as he gracefully walked outside of her gloomy hospital room.

A few days later she returned to the palace after receiving the proper fluids and medications to accommodate her overdose. Her mother and Cyrus did an exceptional job at hiding the reality of what had happened to Eleanor, and frankly she was okay with that.

"I never meant to kill myself." Eleanor pensively stared into Liam's eyes as she laid in her bed, still feeling weak.

"I know you didn't Len," her brother replied as he grabbed onto her hands. "But your partying has gotten out of control. I can't help but feel responsible, I should have been there.."

"You don't understand, Liam," Eleanor expressed with a sigh. "I have been hurt and let down so many times in my life, I just wanted to escape-"

"What happened?" her twin interjected, pulling up a chair next to her bed. It was almost as if he could read her mind.

Before she could spit out his name, they both heard a knock on the door as Jasper cautiously entered her bedroom. Eleanor inhaled a sharp breath as her brother thankfully took the lead.

"What is it Jasper? We're in the middle of a conversation.." Liam inquired sounding bothered.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I recovered some footage from the birthday party.. I figured you may want to take a look at it, Liam. I found the girl that you spoke of at the party."

While Jasper spoke, he was oddly staring at Eleanor the whole time. Liam did a quick glance to Eleanor apparently realizing this as well and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry Len, this is very important. But I promise you that we will pick back up later tonight," he said letting go of her hands. He stood up promptly and passed Jasper as he exited her bedroom.

Jasper never broke his stare with Eleanor.

"Go on then," she challenged him, straightening up in her bed. Jasper slowly backed away as her heart sank. She didn't want him to leave.

 _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

With the similar painful feeling she had when he left her in the tunnel, Eleanor watched Jasper disappear into the other room.


	3. Never Give Up

**A/N: I've had some free time the past few days and I'm really enjoying getting into writing.. it's pretty addicting! So that's why the stories are busting out so quick. Anyways I wanted to thank everyone for leaving the kind reviews.. The more I receive the more it inspires me to keep making more stories! Any feedback is appreciated. Enjoy :]**

* * *

The following morning Eleanor took out her box of goodies and lit up a joint. She slowly exhaled as she reclined onto her couch. Staring at the new table in front of her she realized that the one she had fell on the night of her overdose had been replaced.

Taking another hit, she jumped as Queen Helena strutted into her room without knocking.

"Jesus mum, you could knock," Eleanor hissed as she quickly fanned the smoke around her and put the joint out.

"Smoking already, Eleanor? And this early in the morning," her mother pressed as she took the spot next to her daughter on the couch.

Eleanor rolled her eyes taking a pillow from behind her and resting it in her lap using it as some sort of a barrier. "And what do I owe the pleasure to, having you in my bedroom this early on a Sunday morning?"

"I wanted to get you out of your room. Perhaps we could take a quick stroll around the garden. I'll let you get dressed," Helena smirked looking Eleanor up and down, and then showed herself out of the room.

After letting out a dramatic sigh, Eleanor sloppily threw on an oversized black sweatshirt. She gazed at herself in the large mirror in front of her. Her eye makeup, heavy as always from the night before, was smudged. All of the crying she had been doing lately left her eyes puffy and red. She slowly backed away from the mirror and grabbed a vodka bottle from the cabinet. Staring at her reflection, she took two swigs and left to go meet her mother in the courtyard.

"I know we haven't always seen eye to eye," Helena began as they strolled through the royal palace gardens. The vibrant flowers and plants surrounding them seemed to go on for miles. The morning dew reflected the sun's light off of them. "But you are my daughter, and I'm worried about you."

Eleanor snorted as she tried her hardest to prevent an eye roll.

"Your actions the other night were foolish. And I will be keeping my eyes on you. If it wasn't for Jasper-"

"Yes," Eleanor cut her mother off. "It's a good thing that you weren't fucking him at the time." As the words escaped her mouth, she felt her cheeks turn red. She pulled the hoodie up over her head.

Helena let in a sharp breath as she turned her gaze onto Eleanor. "I suppose I deserved that.." The two of them continued walking as they passed an area of roses and approached a bench. "You know, I was only trying to protect you.. but now I see the error of my ways."

They both sat down on the bench and Eleanor didn't look at her mom. She remained silent.

"I want you to feel love, Eleanor," her mother continued. "The night of your birthday party I walked in during your mini fit. I saw the way that Jasper was looking at you, and it's rather apparent that he deeply cares for you."

"Well apparently we weren't at the same party because Jasper was not there. He was somewhere else.." Eleanor's voice faded off as she covered her face with her hands and felt a sudden burst of anger. "Look, mother, what exactly is your point? As much as I love sitting here listening to you bring up these _lovely_ memories, I would really love to go back to my room now."

"You know, I once was in love with the help as well," Helena carried on ignoring her comments. "Before your father and I got married. He worked on our farm."

 _In love with the help_ _as well_ _? Excuse me? This woman is mad.._

"Simon was with a woman named Dominique, but something rather tragic happened to her." Helena went on to explain the story of how her and Simon had came about.

"The bottom line, Eleanor, is that I want you to be happy. You've clearly been struggling and I know that things have been far from a walk in the park. But I will not stand by and watch you pass up the opportunity of true love like I did," Helena concluded as Eleanor finally made eye contact with her.

It was unusually kind of her mother to open up to her like this.. or even spend this much quality time with her. If only she knew the dark side of Jasper that Eleanor had painfully been faced with.

Once they were back inside the palace Eleanor wasted no time rushing back to her room. She passed Liam and Jasper in one of the hallways looking like they were in the middle of a serious conversation.

"Len!" Liam shouted just as she thought she had gotten by without one of them bothering her.

"Liam," she replied, turning around. She looked Jasper up and down as she crossed her arms protectively around her. His blue eyes widened and lit up taking in the sight of her. There was a moment of awkward silence before Liam carried on.

"We might have found a connection," he whispered. " We found the footage of the girl who was at our party. I knew I had seen her somewhere, and she was the one who found me the night of dad's death. Her name is Dominique and- "

"Look, as much as I would love to sit here and play detective with you two, I believe I've had enough for the day and it hasn't even reached noon," Eleanor snapped. She knew that this was just an excuse. She couldn't focus in the presence of _him._ What scared her even further was that she didn't feel angry toward him anymore. She just felt sad. Miserable.

They both stared back at her, Liam with his eyebrows raised. Without another word she carried on her quest to the bedroom.

The second she entered her room she felt a weight lifted off of her shoulders. She felt safe in her room. Without thinking twice she went back into the cabinet and grabbed the bottle of alcohol. Another two swigs. She panicked as she heard a knock on her door and quickly shoved the bottle out of sight.

 _Well at least someone knocked this time._

"Come in," her voice raised at a higher octave than normal. Liam entered the room slowly.

"What was that all about? Don't you want to help us avenge our father?" he spoke, sounding half angry and half concerned. "Whatever is going on between you and Jas-"

"There's _nothing_ going on between us _Liam_ ," she hissed through her teeth.

"Then what is it? What the hell has been going on with you lately?" He took a step forward getting in her face. "Have you been fucking drinking again Eleanor? And it's not even twelve?"

She felt like she was being attacked. _Don't do this Liam._

"No I have not been drinking, and it's none of your goddamn business. Get out of my room _now_ ," she glared into his eyes and pointed toward the door.

"What the hell happened to you?" he solemnly shook his head and stormed out slamming the door.

Tears began to stream down her face yet again as she let out a scream, picked up one of the pictures on her bedside table and slammed it against the wall. This time she was wise enough to lock her door so that no matter what, no one could come in once more today to disrupt her. Especially.. _him._

Eleanor threw the curtains closed and violently slammed the cabinet open grabbing the bottle before rushing into her bed. Underneath the blankets she felt the pillows being dampened by her tears. She unscrewed the cap of the bottle and took the longest chug she could possibly take.

* * *

She awoke in a complete haze. The room was slightly spinning and her head was killing her. Eleanor slowly sat up in her dark room and glanced at the empty vodka bottle laying next to her. _What time is it?_ The digital clock next to her bed read 9:09 PM.

She glanced at her cell phone which kept buzzing every few seconds. Most of the texts were from James, demanding the princess to unlock her doors. _Shit_ she thought to herself. She never meant to scare Mr. Hill, especially after what had happened...

Eleanor turned on a light next to her bed and ran to the bedroom door opening it.

"Your highness," James sighed trying to remain as calm as possible. "If you ever need time alone, I told you that all you have to do is tell me. But please do not ever lock the door, especially for this long.. I don't have the key to your bedroom. I was worried."

"I'm so sorry James." Eleanor felt horrible. "I just wanted to take a nap and I slept longer than I intended," she lied.

"Of course," he replied very slowly.

"It won't ever happen again, I promise," Eleanor tried to put a smile on her face. "I'm going to go take a bath now. Thank you James."

She felt the warm water hug her whole body. There was nothing more comforting than a nice hot bubble bath to relax her mind. She dunked her head under the water. Hearing the silence under water was oddly therapeutic. Eleanor washed her hair and scrubbed her body clean. Getting out of the tub she caught a glance of herself in the mirror. She removed the remainder of makeup that was left on her face. Wrapped in her towel, she combed her hair and put lotion on her arms and legs.

Eleanor had a strong craving for a cigarette to help cure the hangover. She tossed back on the same black oversized sweatshirt and threw on a pair of soft grey pajama shorts.

She made her way out to one of the balconies of the palace and lit up her cigarette. Leaning on the rail she looked over the gardens that her mother and her had walked through earlier that day. She inhaled a big puff. _I wonder why mum was so nice today. Could my superficial mother really fall in love with the help?.._

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door behind her swung open. She slowly turned around and lost her breath as she made eye contact with _him._ For the first time in a while, Eleanor could not think of a single word to say. So she waited for him to speak first.

"I wanted to bring you these," Jasper cautiously spoke as he reached into his jacket. He pulled out her grandmother's earrings that she had given to Mandy. He extended his arm out to her and she accepted the offer, letting him place them in her palm.

Still, to her own surprise and frustration, she was speechless. He looked as though he was searching for words in his head as well.

"You look really beautiful without any makeup on," he finally said gazing into her eyes. She felt every ounce of her body tingle. The slightest smile spread across her face until she realized it and quickly pursed her lips.

Eleanor looked down at the diamond earrings in her hand and studied them carefully. She clutched onto them and turned to lean over the rail again, facing her back to him. She took another drag of the cigarette.

"I'm not the man that I used to be," he delicately spoke. She could feel his presence as he walked closer behind her. "I'll answer any questions that you have, any. Len I just-"

"Princess," Eleanor interjected. She took another drag.

"Princess.." Jasper corrected himself. She could see in her peripheral view that he was cautiously walking up to the rail next to her. "I haven't been able to sleep since that night I found you. I thought that I lost you."

"That night you did lose me," her voice was shaky as she met his gaze. "That night, everyone lost me. I can't trust _anyone_. My father and my older brother were both brutally murdered. My mother is a stuck up bitch who only reaches out when she needs something. I have no friends. Anytime I feel as though I can let somebody in, they crush my heart and make me feel a fool. What did I do to deserve this?"

This was the most that she had spoken to anyone since that night.. and probably the most vulnerable she had ever been in her life. She tried her absolute best to prevent it, but the tears started streaming down her cheeks. Eleanor flicked the cigarette over the balcony and collapsed onto the floor grasping her legs and burying her head. She involuntarily whimpered and moaned as all of her raw emotions finally flooded out of her. She began violently shaking as she sobbed into her hands.

Jasper stood rigid as he watched her. But he couldn't hold back anymore. He dropped on his knees, embraced her into his arms and she didn't resist. She could feel his heartbeat as his warmth consumed her. She leaned her head on his chest and breathed in his scent that she craved.

They sat like this, in silence, for several minutes. She finally raised her head up and made eye contact with him wiping her tears away on her sweatshirt. His expression was vacant, she couldn't read what he was thinking. He pushed her damp hair behind her right ear and cupped her cheek in his hand.

"I didn't lose you," he began with a raspy voice. "I'm never going to give up on you, Princess. Never."


	4. Demons

Jasper helped pick Eleanor up from the balcony floor. She remained silent for some time as they walked through the long halls of the palace. Suddenly, her stomach let out a loud growl. She stopped walking and clutched herself as the hunger pains consumed her.

"When was the last time you ate Princess?" Jasper demanded, putting his hand on the small of her back. She essentially had vodka for breakfast, lunch, and dinner but surely wasn't going to tell him that.

"I-I'm not sure.." she said purposefully inching away from his touch.

"You really need to take better care of yourself. I'll take you to the kitchen."

Eleanor purposefully took the lead, striding into the dark kitchen with her arms folded. Jasper switched the lights on illuminating the vast vacant area where chef's usually ran around during normal hours of the day.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked opening up one of the many refrigerators.

"I don't care." She sat down at one of the tables and put her head in her hands. Exhaustion devoured her.

"I'll be right back." Jasper vanished out of the room. She listened to his footsteps as they lead further away.

 _Lord, why am I even giving him the time of day right now? He better not get any ideas.._

She retrieved the diamond earrings from her sweatshirt pocket and put them back on, although it did not match her current attire.

Minutes later, he returned wearing a tight fitting white shirt and grey sweatpants. His hair was messy and he was wearing reading glasses. "My room isn't too far from here. I decided it was late enough to change out of that damn suit... I hope that's okay, your highness."

"Wait-" Eleanor chimed in. "You wear glasses?" she fought back a smile as she watched him take out a few items from the fridge.

"I'm near sighted Princess. I wear contacts during the day." He cut up a few veggies and took out a pan. He then cracked a few eggs into the pan and threw bread in the toaster.

 _How is it possible for him to look even sexier OUT of a suit? Even in those ghastly, dorky glasses?_

She didn't realize she was gawking at him until he turned around and looked at her. "Do you like bacon with your eggs?"

"Um.. yes please," she spoke as she felt her cheeks flushing.

He set down two plates in front of them with half of an omelet, toast, and bacon on each. They sat in silence while she took two bites and already felt full. It was truly delicious, but her appetite just hadn't been the same recently.

After another five minutes passed in silence with his eyes close on her. "Why didn't you leave with Mandy when you had the chance?" Eleanor slammed her fork down, breaking the peace. "I could have sent your ass back to prison, along with that bitch girlfriend of yours. In fact, I could still have you arrested this very moment, with just the snap of my finger." She raised her hand and pushed her middle finger and thumb together, leaning her head to the side.

"But you won't."

She hated how he had the ability to knock her off her high horse with one quick statement. He always had that power over her. His foolish level of confidence matched her own.

"And she's not my girlfriend; she never was," he continued. "She was just a friend- or, something like that.." Jasper stumbled over his words reaching for his toast.

"Fuck buddy," Eleanor replied dryly. "A couple of con artists; deceiving people and fucking each other all around the world.. how romantic."

He raised an eyebrow in amusement. "I met her in one of the casino's I was working security at in Vegas. I escorted her out of the hotel for counting cards during a game of black jack, and then we began to talk. I was impressed with her skills."

 _Now I've really lost my appetite_.

"I left one of the highest positions at said hotel, and was given a similar job at another one. We would stay up at night researching the best strategies to make sure she always had the advantage when playing. And I prevented her from ever getting caught again knowing the in's and out's of the casino. We made hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash."

As he spoke, he didn't seem to be the slightest bit ashamed. Jasper was clearly proud. _He is the most arrogant man I have ever met._

"So why leave? Why come across the pond to make my life a living hell?"

It was then that he fell back into his typical stern expression. He stared right through her, clearly in deep thought.

Eleanor cleared her throat and started to pick at the bacon on her plate.

"I got the job." He let out a sigh. "The rush was addicting, we felt like we were invincible. Mandy brought out the worst in me. We were a horrible influence on each other. But it's over now, Princess."

"Why on Earth would you ever think that I would believe you? The _only_ reason I haven't turned you in is because of Liam. He really trusts you, you know."

"As he should," he interjected. "I told you earlier. I've changed."

Eleanor snorted as she threw her head back in amusement. Jasper abruptly stood up from his chair, grabbing both of their plates and bringing them toward the garbage.

"I fucked up, Eleanor, I know that," he calmly spoke with his back to her. "I'm a fucked up person who was raised by thieves."

"Daddy issues?" she snickered as he slammed one of the plates into the sink shattering it. The loud crashing noise made her jump in her seat. Jasper promptly turned back toward her as she instantly regretted saying that.

 _Clearly I've hit a nerve.._

"Call it what you want," he spoke at a low volume with his teeth pressed together. "Everyone has their demons. You for one, should know that."

This shut her up and she found herself once again without words.

"Let's get you to bed." He dashed toward her, extending his hand out for her to grab onto.

"Aren't you going to clean that up?" Eleanor winced looking into the kitchen.

She grabbed onto his hand helping her stand up. Without one word Jasper escorted her into the dark halls of the palace, never letting go of her hand. And she didn't want him to.

* * *

They walked upstairs to her bedroom in the dark. The full moon cast through the windows leaving just enough light to see. "Thank you for the food," Eleanor whispered, lightly biting her lip as she removed her hand from his grasp.

"Anything for you, Princess," he resumed his bodyguard stance.

She didn't want him to leave her. Even after everything he had just told her. Even after everything he had put her through. There was no one on the planet who had ever made her feel the way he does. She hated him, she cared for him, she was afraid of him, she lusted for him.. He made her feel alive.

Without thinking she slowly backed herself up against the wall. She stared into his eyes; those big beautiful blue eyes that told such a story. There was such agony and disdain pouring from his glance. There was more to this man than she ever thought there was. He was clearly broken. And all she wanted to do was fix him. She looked down at his lips, feeling her heart rate begin to accelerate.

Eleanor couldn't fight the feeling anymore. No matter how many times he fucked up was irrelevant in this moment. She wanted him, and she wanted him now. She pulled the waistband of his sweatpants to pull him in closer. Throwing him off guard he lost his balance, pushing most of his body weight up against hers. His breath was heavy and she saw his eyes flicker with excitement. With one swift movement he scooped her small frame up against the wall as she instantaneously wrapped her legs around his waist. She grabbed his face and pushed her lips onto his. Eleanor yanked on the back of his hair as he deepened the kiss and grinded into her. Still holding her, he opened up her bedroom door and placed her on the couch on her back.

Jasper ripped off her sweatshirt to find that she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. He made a quick glance into her eyes before delicately kissing and sucking on her breasts. He made his way down her stomach and lightly licked around her belly button. She squirmed as he removed her shorts with his teeth tossing them to the ground. He continued to pleasure her as she let out a moan under her breath. After a moment she placed her foot on his shoulder and extended her leg, pushing him back. Jasper promptly stood up with a confused look on his face.

"I want you inside of me, take me to my bed," she demanded as she tore off his shirt and placed his glasses on her table.

"Yes, Princess" Jasper growled as he picked her up from the couch. He lightly placed her down on her pillow and nipped at her neck. Putting his face before hers, he caressed her face with his hand and glanced next to her. Suddenly his eyes widened and his eyebrows furrowed. He swiftly let go of her body and backed away off the bed.

"What, what is it?" Eleanor asked. She looked around her bed and fixed her eyes on what he was staring at. Next to her lied the empty bottle of vodka that she had consumed all within a matter of hours earlier that day.

"Eleanor, you've been drinking today? Do you not remember that you almost fucking _died_ from this behavior the other night?" Jaspers eyes flashed with rage.

"Jasper I wanted to take the pain away.. today had been so annoying and-"

"And I'm sure you were just trying to take the pain away the other night, you know, when you almost _DIED_!" he shouted at her making her slightly jump.

"Fucking hell Jasper, yes, I was. And it was _all your fault._ You did this to me, don't you ever forget that," she fumed pulling the covers over her body.

And then, with the look on his face as though he had just seen a car crash, Jasper reached for his glasses on the table and threw his shirt back on. "Clearly this was a mistake," he spoke softly as he gave one last look at Eleanor. "Good night Princess."

Before she could even get a word out he slammed the door. _What the fuck just happened?_ She took one of her pillows and slammed it over her face collapsing into her bed. Overwhelmed and exhausted with the events of the day, Eleanor quickly fell asleep.


	5. The Celebration

**A/N: Hey guys! I wanted to thank those of you for leaving comments on the story, like I said before it truly inspires me to keep going. So don't stop! Let me know if you like the direction that the story is going in, if you like this length (this one is longer than usual), or if you have any ideas for the next installments. Thanks everyone! Happy reading :]**

Eleanor abruptly woke up to a knock on her bedroom door. The bright sun was shining through the curtains exposing her naked body laying on top of the sheets.

"Just a minute!" she shouted as she dashed out of the bed and quickly threw on a black silk robe. "Um- come in!"

James strolled into her room pushing a cart containing pastries, pancakes, scrambled eggs, and tea. "Good morning your highness. Mr. Frost suggested I bring you breakfast this morning. He filled me in on your eating habits.."

Eleanor couldn't fight back an eye roll as she placed her hand on her hip.

"Forgive me Princess, I just want to make sure you are well," James had a sincere expression on his face.

"Thank you for bringing me breakfast, and luckily those pancakes do look delicious. But you don't need to worry about my health and you can tell _Mr. Frost_ the same."

With a nod James turned around. "Very well.. Tonight is the celebration honoring King Cyrus' engagement to Ms. Smith. And Prince Liam asked for you to visit him in the tennis courts when you are finished eating." He promptly shut the door behind him. _Cyrus is getting married? And to a woman? I was almost certain that he liked men.._

She sat down on the edge of her bed gazing out the window. The sunlight hit her eyes as she tried to shadow them with her hand. The night before was nothing short of a disaster. First of all, she allowed her body to take control of her mind by nearly sleeping with Jasper _again._ And second, she had essentially blamed the totality of her overdose onto Jasper. _That was pretty harsh._ The expression on his face after she retaliated was burned into her memory. _But it was all over a bottle of vodka. One bottle! He shouldn't have over reacted.._

Eleanor took a bite of the pastry and poured herself some tea. She couldn't help but glance at her couch, the one that she spread naked across last night as Jasper worked his magic with his tongue. A smirk spread across her face as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin.

Dragging her feet to her closet, she lazily tossed on a black t-shirt with a skull on it and slipped on some ripped black jeans. She brushed her hair, put on a few swipes of dark eye shadow, and applied a heavy amount of eyeliner.

Picking up the empty vodka bottle that caused havoc the night before, she tossed it in her trash can. _Well, I'm all out of alcohol._

Eleanor made her way out to the royal gardens at a relatively fast pace. She passed the rose garden approaching the tennis courts. Liam was dressed in all white sporty attire with a matching sweatband in his hair. The automatic launcher was spewing out tennis balls as he lunged left and right hitting almost every one thrown his way.

"Very impressive brother," she chirped, opening up the gate letting herself in. He looked over at her squinting his eyes.

"Len," he acknowledged as he dodged a few balls that were still projecting toward him. He turned off the machine and walked toward his sister.

Liam sat down on a bench setting his tennis racquet down and gesturing for her to sit down next to him. "I know you haven't been feeling the best lately," he carefully spoke as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "But we've discovered more about Dominique.. if you would like to know more."

"Mum told me about her yesterday. Apparently she was our father's ex-girlfriend."

"She wasn't necessarily his ex-girlfriend, Len. This is going to come as quite a shock," Liam said placing his hand on Eleanor's thigh. He filled her in on how their Grandmother was the reason for Dominique's death. She had poisoned a horse Dominique rode which threw her to the ground. She died later that day from her injuries. Their Gran deliberately killed an innocent woman to get their family to the thrown. With Dominique out of the way, it was a sure bet that Helena would end up with Simon and become the future Queen of England.

" _What_?!" Eleanor promptly stood up and started pacing back and forth. "You're telling me that our Gran is a murderer?"

"Yes. I was talking to mum when Gran walked into the room and admitted it. She didn't seem to have any remorse."

"Is there a member of our family who isn't fucked up? When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? What are we going to do?" she was talking so fast that she had to take a huge gulp of air, placing her hands on her knees.

"There's more to it, Len. The domino symbol pendant on my necklace the night I was found represents her family. They are clearly trying to avenge her, and they most likely killed our father."

Eleanor plopped back down next to her twin and put her hands in her head. She viciously ran her hands through her hair staring at the ground.

"Len, calm down, please," Liam pleaded as he put his arm around her shoulders. "You haven't been stable lately and I was debating whether I should let you in or not.." he slowed down as he lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. He could see the wheels turning in Eleanor's head as her eyes flashed with rage.

" _Of course_ you should tell me, how pathetic do you think I am?" she shot back up from her seat and threw her hands on her hips. "Just because I had an accident last week doesn't make me some weak individual-"

"An accident, Len? An accident is something that happens unintentionally. It's hard for me to believe that what you did that night was unintentional. How could you consume enough vodka, cocaine, and ecstasy for bloody four people, without thinking something horrible would happen?"

Eleanor flipped her twin off as she turned away from him and began to strut back to the gate entrance.

"Jasper told me," Liam shouted at her making her rapidly turn back toward him.

" _What_ did you say?"

He dashed from the bench and blocked her way out of the gate. "You lied to me yesterday. Even though I smelled it on your breath, I naively wanted to believe that it couldn't be true. That my sister would be smart enough to not run right back to the very thing that ended you up in the hospital last week."

"And how _dare_ you," he pointed his finger in her face as he got in her face. "How dare you have the nerve to lie to me again, right here, right now.. yesterday surely wasn't a fucking accident now was it?"

Eleanor swiftly slapped him across the face as tears welled up in her eyes. He placed his hand over his cheek, gradually raising his head.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?" Helena interrupted approaching the courts. They both turned their attention to their mother who had appeared out of the blue. "Stop fighting like foolish children. We have more serious things to worry about than whatever petty bullshit you two are up to."

She calmly opened up the gate and stood in front of her children. They both straightened up and glanced at each other before returning their gaze on their mother.

"Good then," Helena acknowledged crossing her arms. "Cyrus knocked one of the goddamn maids up, and plans to marry her. Tonight we will be celebrating their dreadful union and I expect both of you to be on your best behavior. I will not allow my former brother-in-law to believe that we have been defeated just yet. This isn't over. I will see the both of you in the ballroom at 6 p.m. sharp."

* * *

Eleanor entered her bedroom trotting back and forth in front of her mirror. _When will this family drama come to an end? This palace is a fucking nut house_. It felt as if someone was repeatedly mentally hitting her over the head with a hammer. She was utterly depressed and defeated at usual.

Eleanor hurled her cabinet doors open, only to be grimly reminded that she was out of alcohol. She glanced at the clock realizing it was only 1:03 p.m. There still was enough time to go into the wine cellar and 'borrow' a couple bottles, just as she had done with Jasper on his first day on the job as her security detail.

Grabbing two bottles of wine from the racks, Eleanor gracefully strolled back through the tunnels. She stopped as she heard her brother's voice in a room with a steel door to her left. She had never noticed this secret room before. She pressed her ear up against the door. Jasper's voice spoke for a good while, but she couldn't make out what either of them were saying.

Eyeing the bottles of wine in her hands, she quickly dashed back upstairs. She chugged half of a bottle of pinot noir with ease. _There, that's better._ Slowing down her pace in between chugs, her attention went back to what Liam had professed to her. If her Gran hadn't killed Dominique, Helena and her father would most likely have never been, and Eleanor certainly wouldn't be sitting in this room right now. She looked around her disaster of a bedroom. The red spray paint projected across the walls, across the oil paint portrait of herself. The picture smashed on the floor, the box of goodies on her table. _What a disaster of a Princess I make!_

Eleanor took the second bottle of wine with her into the bathroom and drew herself a bath. Although she had just found out that her Gran was a murderer and her crazy uncle Cyrus was off his rocker as usual; she was more distraught with what had happened between her and Liam. She hated fighting with him. She hated holding secrets from him even more.

With this tornado of turmoil surrounding her, there was only one person that she wanted to speak to.

"Can we talk?" Eleanor spelled out a text on her phone to Jasper. But she didn't send it. She stared at the phone in her hand, her other hand holding a wine bottle over the side of the tub. She finished the remainder of the second bottle and decided it would be best to speak with him in person. She tossed her cell phone to the side table and unplugged the bath.

After wrapping a towel around herself and blow drying her hair, she threw on a black slip and black combat boots. She brushed her teeth and doused herself in perfume, hopeful to mask the smell of alcohol wreaking from her pores.

The tunnel was dark and chilly. The ground felt like it was moving from underneath her as she approached the undisclosed room with the steel door. Without hesitation she knocked on the door three times. She heard it unlock as Jasper opened the door revealing a room full of television screens. There was security footage from all different perspectives of the palace. He was quick to close the door behind him preventing Liam from seeing her.

"Princess," Jasper stated dryly.

"I wanted to speak with you," she replied, careful not to slur.

Staring into her eyes, he moved his gaze to her frail body examining her up and down. "I'm sorry your highness but now is not a good time," he stated with an expression that was impassive.

" _Jasper_ I want to speak to you about last night. I never meant to-"

"Hill," he talked over her, speaking into his earpiece. "Please help assist the Princess back up to her room, she is outside of the security room in the tunnels. Thank you."

"Excuse me? I don't need assistance back up to my room, I can walk just fine _thanks,"_ she replied with a smirk rolling her eyes and throwing her head to the side. She turned around and began to walk away as Jasper slammed the door shut behind her making her jump.

"Your highness?" James appeared from the darkness of the tunnel ahead of her. "Are you okay? Come on, let's go," he soothingly spoke as he intertwined her arm into his leading her back upstairs.

"I can walk just fine," she hissed. Eleanor squirmed out of his grip and crossed her arms as she lead the way back upstairs.

Once again finding herself back in her bedroom, she stumbled over to her bed and landed face first into the pillows. The room was still slightly spinning thanks to the wine.

"Your highness," Mr. Hill softly spoke standing above her. "Please drink some of this water. I also brought you some toast."

Eleanor grunted something in her pillow but didn't move.

"The ceremony is at 6 p.m. and the Queen gave me strict orders to have you there on time and in tip top shape."

She whipped her head up and rolled on her back to make eye contact with James. "Well I would never want to let _the Queen_ down, now would I James? Wake me up at 4 p.m. please." And with that, she threw the covers over her body and closed her eyes.

* * *

James promptly knocked on her door at 4 p.m. on the dot. Eleanor got out of bed and peered at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days. She threw the doors of her walk-in closet open. There were dozens of dresses, mostly in black, that hung from the walls. She chose a sequined strapless black dress that fit snuggly around her tiny frame. Black pumps and a thick necklace with spikes complemented her outfit.

After washing her face, she straightened her hair stick straight per usual. She applied more heavy eye shadow and eyeliner than normal hoping to draw attention away from the bags under her eyes.

Eleanor tip toed over to her bedroom door and locked it. Cracking her box of goodies open, she shifted her fingers through the various contents and picked out the baggy chock-full of cocaine _._

She carefully crushed the powder with the back of a credit card onto the mirror slab. Snorting a few lines, she could instantly feel the stimulating effect of the drug. Ah _, now I'm ready for this bloody commemoration._ She stashed the small baggy into her snake skin studded clutch.

"Mr. Hill, I'm ready" Eleanor emerged from her bedroom, happily clutching onto his arm unlike before.

"Your highness, you look beautiful as always. The guests are just arriving," James spoke as the clutter of voices in the palace grew louder. They approached the banister of the Grand Staircase making their way downstairs.

Eleanor and her bodyguard entered the largest ballroom in the palace filled with hundreds of people. She maintained her grasp onto Mr. Hill's arm fighting back her pride. For once she truly was scared and needed his support. _Where's Liam and how will he treat me after my actions today? How much is my mother expecting of me to kiss my uncle's ass over some bogus wedding?_ And most importantly, _where will Jasper be and will he ignore me as he did earlier?_

Making eye contact with her uncle, Eleanor was drained of all of the previous thoughts that cluttered her mind.

"Hello Eleanor, how do you do?" King Cyrus spoke annunciating every syllable."I haven't seen you roaming about the palace in quite a while."

He raised an eyebrow as he reached out to kiss her hand. She was repulsed by every single thing about him. Cyrus creeped her out and was a constant reminder of how he wouldnever be _her king._

"Uncle Cyrus," Eleanor acknowledged with such a fake smile spread across her face she felt embarrassed.

"And who are you again? Mr.-"

"Hill, your majesty," James replied as he nodded his head to the King.

"Is he your choice bodyguard date of the night, my niece?" Cyrus asked with a smirk which made her insides churn.

Eleanor instinctively jerked her arm from James' and folded them in front of herself.

"Eleanor, you look lovely," Helena approached wearing a bright red body hugging dress that cut off just above her knee. She was wearing black Louboutin's as normal and a necklace with a disgusting amount of diamonds spread across it.

"Mother," she replied suddenly feeling incredibly anxious standing before her intimidating mother and uncle. "So where's the lucky girl?" Eleanor squeaked with yet another humiliatingly fake tone.

"Prudence!" Cyrus shouted as he extended his hand out to an extremely familiar woman. It was the maid that her father had been particularly fond of in the past. Prudence strolled up with a bleak expression across her face. She rested her hand on her belly which looked like it was about to pop any second. _Holy shit, she's huge!_

"Hello, I'm Eleanor. Um- when are you expecting?" Eleanor tried to politely carry on the conversation.

"Any day now," Prudence replied solemnly staring into her eyes. _No wonder the poor woman was so miserable. Not only was she marrying this mad man, but she a had a mini one of him growing inside of her!_

Eleanor winced at the thought. "Well it was lovely to meet you, I'm going to go grab a bite to eat," she quickly made an excuse to get out of this awkward conversation.

"Go on then, you look like you could use it," her evil uncle replied.

Eleanor slowly made her way through the party with James close behind her. She purposefully kept her eyes on the ground not wanting to bump into her brother or _him_ just yet. She would certainly need a drink or two before that.

"Len!" she heard Liam shout approaching her. _Shit._

"Mr. Hill I would like to speak to my brother alone for a moment, thank you," she dismissed her bodyguard as he nodded and turned away.

"What do you want Liam?" she sighed as she took a bite of tuna tartare. "Have you come here to bash me some more and make me feel like a piece of dirt? Because I think you already accomplished that earlier.."

"No, I came to apologize. I was a bit harsh earlier.. but it's only because I love you. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you. It's just you and me now," he spoke as she looked over his shoulder and caught sight of Jasper mingling with a young blonde.

"Right-" Eleanor struggled to bring her eyesight back onto her brother. "I love you too and I'm sorry that I lied to you. It won't happen again." She knew that this promise would be broken.. in fact it was broken the moment she said it, as she was on quite a bit of cocaine at the moment.

"Who is Jasper talking to?" she lifted her head in the direction toward the mysterious lady with pale skin. She was wearing a pink strapless dress with ruffles that fell to the floor. Her hair was in a dramatic up-do that looked like it took hours to do. Her makeup was light, with bright pink lipstick to match her dress. This girl was essentially the complete opposite of Eleanor externally.

"Oh, I believe that's the daughter of one the security details of the palace. I forget her name though.."

Jasper had a smile on his face as they both laughed about something. Eleanor hadn't seen Jasper smile in what felt like months. The girl enthusiastically placed her hand on his shoulder as she threw her head back in laughter.

Jealousy and rage consumed Eleanor as she looked on. She lost all focus. The hundreds of people buzzing around her disappeared.

"Len?" Liam shouted over the music that began to turn up as the lights dimmed. "You're not jealous are you?" he smirked with a slight giggle.

She stared on, not breaking contact. The pink one turned her back to Jasper and began to dance up against him.

"I- I've gotta go to the bathroom," Eleanor quickly excused herself as she raced through the groups of people laughing and dancing with one another. She quickly spotted a server holding a silver tray full of champagne flutes. Grasping two in her hands, she dashed into the bathroom. In the bathroom stall she chugged the first glass and set it down next to her. She opened up her clutch and got out the tiny bag of white powder. Digging a key out of her purse, she placed a bump onto the end of it and quickly snorted it. One more. Within a matter of seconds she chugged the second flute and kicked the stall door open. Slamming the flutes down onto the counter, she looked at herself in the mirror. _I will not let him get to me._

Leaving the restroom, she saw that everyone was slow dancing. _You have got to be kidding me._ Although she promised herself that she would not let Jasper ruin her night, her eyes began darting around the room to find him. She pushed her way through the crowd again, this time at a faster pace. She stopped dead in her tracks as she looked about 20 feet away from her.

Jasper was slow dancing with the pink one, his hands on her hips and her arms wrapped around his neck. They were looking into each other's eyes. The blonde had a stupid smile slapped across her face while Jasper held his typical pensive expression.

Eleanor felt her blood boil as something internally snapped. _That bastard. How dare he ignore me! He was just in my room no less than 24 hours ago, and he's dancing with this skank?_ She glared looking on at the two of them as Jasper suddenly turned his head and instantly made eye contact with her. It was as if he had known she was watching the whole time. Eleanor tried to wipe the visible pained expression off her face, and turned around before he could see her cry over him once again.

Heading back to the restroom she felt warm tears stream down her face. _Can't I go one fucking day without crying? Is that too much to ask?_ She approached the same server who was standing with the champagne flutes. Eleanor wiped her tears away and straightened up her posture. She looked around the server and saw several bottles of champagne lined up behind him. Swiftly grabbing two bottles, the waitress turned to her.

"Excuse me? What do you think you're-"

"I'm the Princess, you fucking idiot. It'd be best if you don't let another word out of your mouth. And I won't let anyone know about this," she fumed, looking the poor man up and down.

"Your- your highness, I'm so sorry," he stuttered, clearly shaken.

And with that, she found her way back to the restroom and back into the stall. This time she put the lid of the toilet seat down and took a seat, popping one of the bottles open. She took her time in between swigs as the tears returned to her eyes.

After about 30 minutes, 2 champagne bottles, and about 7 bumps of cocaine, Eleanor emerged back into the party. Cyrus and Prudence took the stage, making a speech.

"Your highness, I've been looking for you," James stealthily approached behind her.

"What did I tell you about sneaking up on me," she hissed at him furrowing her eyebrows.

"My apologies."

"I am so happy to be sharing my love for this woman with my people. I care for each and every one of you deeply," Cyrus spoke into the microphone as Eleanor snorted and rolled her eyes.

"To my family," he continued. "I look forward to carrying on as the close-knit and loving bunch that we are. I can't wait for my son to be here and to experience the love and compassion that we have for one another: Helena, Liam, Eleanor.." the crowd turned to look at Eleanor as she let out a raucous laugh and stumbled to the side losing her balance. James caught onto the side of her waist preventing her fall.

The crowd luckily ignored her odd behavior and broke out into applause.

"Princess!" James shouted as he lost grasp of Eleanor who darted toward the stage. She wanted to give the audience a personal speech from the King's niece. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind and nothing was going to stop her. Eleanor staggered through the loud group of people around her cheering. Her eyesight was set on the ground approaching the stage as she bumped into someone. She huffed while looking up and meeting Jasper's gaze.

"To the people of England: please enjoy the rest of your night and have or a drink or two on me!" Cyrus closed his speech letting out a pompous laugh as the crowd cheered louder.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Jasper asked squeezing onto both of her arms.

"Ouch- let go of me you bastard!" she yelled at him trying to wiggle out of his grasp. But he just pulled her in closer to his body.

"Stop fucking moving," he growled under his breath.

The music resumed its high volume as everyone around them broke out into dance. Eleanor viciously thrashed around in his arms trying to break free of his grip.

Without any sign of struggle Jasper picked her up from behind as she uncontrollably kicked her legs out.

"Let go of me now! I demand you!" Eleanor screamed at the top of her lungs but the music boomed over her voice.

Suddenly she felt someone else grab onto her legs so she essentially couldn't move. She looked down and saw James helping Jasper contain her as they tried their best to exit the ballroom without making a scene. It seemed as though they succeeded since no one, especially the Queen or Liam, had followed them out.

James let go of her legs as she started to visibly calm down.

"I will have both of you fired if you don't let me go now," she slurred. Her legs dangled between Jaspers legs as he remained holding onto her from underneath her armpits. She felt drained after using every ounce of her body trying to fight both bodyguards off.

"I'll take care of this Hill," Jasper breathed heavily. "Just keep an eye on Liam for me."

"As you wish Mr. Frost. I will be by her room to check on her in an hour." James gave one more concerned look toward Eleanor before turning around and re-entering the ballroom.

"Jasper, why won't you just let me go?" Eleanor repeated herself once more, lifelessly hanging in between his arms.

"Because you're drunk out of your fucking mind. Now shut up and stand up," he demanded sounding angrier than she had ever heard him.

Like a baby deer that had just been born, Eleanor's knees wobbled trying to find her footing. He slowly let go of her as she brushed off her dress and turned to look at him.

"I'm- I'll... going to my room now," she mumbled turning back around instantly losing her balance and falling to the ground.

Letting out a huge sigh Jasper picked her up wrapping his arms underneath her legs and upper back. She finally gave up the fight and threw both of her arms around his shoulders.

* * *

Entering Eleanor's room Jasper slowly laid her down onto her bed. It was a flashback of the night before for him, except under much worse conditions. Eleanor wiggled out of her dress with her eyes closed while simultaneously kicking her pumps off. Tears streamed down the sides of her face as she turned to lay on her side. Jasper walked over to her dresser and pulled out a white t-shirt and some shorts for her.

"Sit up." he instructed. She didn't move. "Eleanor, fucking sit up." Still didn't budge.

With another large sigh Jasper delicately lifted her body to sit up. He glanced at her slender body and noticed that she had lost even more weight. She looked sickly. He wrapped the shirt over her arms covering her bare chest and stomach. Positioning the shorts up to her feet he inched them up her legs until her body was fully covered.

Eleanor gazed into his eyes with mascara staining the length of her face. She was too drunk and coked out of her mind to let out any words. Jasper's expression softened as he soothingly rubbed the side of her arm.

"Everything is going to be okay, alright Princess?"

She nodded her head before laying it back on the pillow. He covered her body with the blankets and felt that her body was shivering. Looking around the room, Jasper felt as though it would be impossible to leave her alone tonight. He was worried what she might do, and he just wanted to be there for her.. no matter how angry and confused he was.

Jasper decided to take his jacket and shoes off and loosened his tie. He laid down in bed beside her, spooning her body. She shivered up against him and he could feel the slight heaving of her body from crying. He tucked some hair behind her ear and leaned over to her desk to turn the lamp off. Resuming his position he tenderly kissed the back of her neck, inhaling her scent. He lightly traced the side of her arm with his fingers until she finally stopped shaking.

One hour later, Mr. Hill slowly opened up Eleanor's bedroom door. The light from the hallway spilled into her room and lit up her bed. He could see Jasper on top of the covers, asleep, spooning her body which was covered in blankets. With a relieved smile on his face James quietly closed the door and let them be.


	6. A Look of Hope

The sound of rain pelted against the palace as a crack of lightning shot the Princess' eyes open. The loud rumble of thunder followed soon after. She squinted her eyes to see that it read 5:34 a.m. on her digital clock. Her head was pounding and she felt sick to her stomach. Turning around, she was slightly shaken to see Jasper lying beside her.

He laid on his back with his eyes peacefully closed. Another bolt of lightning illuminated her room. Jasper was still lying on top of the cover, dressed in black slacks and a button down white collared shirt. His tie was loosely hanging around his neck.

 _How the hell did he get here?_ The last thing that Eleanor remembered from the night before was being constrained by both Jasper and James. She cringed at the thought.

She slowly got out of bed trying her best not to wake him. Entering her bathroom she threw open her medicine cabinet and took out some aspirin for her headache. A basket full of water bottles was thankfully stored in her bathroom. She gulped down almost the entire bottle, entering back into her room.

"You're finally drinking water," she heard Jasper's voice speak making her lightly jump.

"Jesus Jasper, I can't see shit in here," Eleanor hissed trying to slowly make her way across the dark room. Another burst of lightning gave her a split second to see how close she was to the bed. Jasper was now laying on his side with his hand on his head facing her.

She finally made her way back and sat on the edge of the bed. There was a moment of silence as rain pattered against her window and the sound of wind whistled through the room.

"How are you feeling?"

Eleanor scratched her head and went back under the covers laying on her back. She didn't reply.

"Does Liam know?" Eleanor cautiously asked a few seconds later, waiting to hear the worst.

"About last night? I don't think so. I hadn't seen him for quite some time before I found you. He was with this beautiful brunette most of the night so I let him be." Jasper laid down on his back crossing his arms behind his head.

"And how about the beautiful blonde?"

"Brittany? She is just a friend. Agent Cohen's daughter."

"She didn't look like just a friend," Eleanor breathed as she turned to face him.

"You can't tell me that you're jealous. I was just having fun; and besides, I'm not anyone's property."

 _Even when I'm being vulnerable, he still can't hold back his sarcastic arrogance can he?_

"How did we get back to my room?" Eleanor asked, trying to change subjects.

"Well you put up quite a fight Princess," Jasper sighed as thunder roared outside. "It took two body guards to keep you down. Quite impressive."

"Very funny jackass."

She felt him slip into the covers beside her and move closer to her.

"I'm not always going to be there to save you, you know," Jasper whispered in her ear reaching his arm across her stomach.

Eleanor's eyes darted around the dim room, not knowing how to react. She laid frozen in silence as he continued.

"As much as I want to be. What if I wasn't there last night? Or the night that.." he was smart enough to not finish his sentence.

After a moment Eleanor turned to face him. An additional flash of lightning lit up both of their faces. They were only inches away from each other.

"I'm scared Jasper," she finally spoke feeling a knot in her throat. "I don't know what's happening to me."

" I... I need you," she said with a soft whisper. She was never comfortable letting her guard down. Especially to the man who had the ability to drive her emotions into a spiral.

They both laid in silence as the storm outside grew stronger and louder.

Eleanor slowly reached her hand over and placed her palm on his chest over his heart. She could feel him breathing heavily with his chest rapidly moving up and down. She delicately began to unbutton his shirt with the same hand. He didn't say a word. Running her fingers over his chest and abs, she felt every muscle in her body tighten.

Her hand moved to his face, cupping his cheek. She could feel the roughness of his unshaven face on her skin. Still, he didn't move or say a word. Inching her face even closer, their noses lightly touched. Eleanor wrapped her right leg over his body pulling him in closer.

She traced his body with her fingers from his face, back down his chest, to the erection she felt protruding from his pants. Eleanor was quick to unbuckle his belt and zip down his pants. She began to inch down the sides of his slacks.

"Eleanor stop," Jasper drew in a quick breath as he placed his hand over hers. "Now isn't the right time."

"Why?" she pouted, unfamiliar with not getting her way.

"Because I'm scared too. Your actions have gotten out of control and I can't just stand by and watch you repetitively hurt yourself."

"I know," she responded sympathetically. "But you are here, right now, in this very moment, in bed with the Princess. And the Princess gets what she wants whenever she wants it, _bodyguard,_ " she whispered grabbing the bulge in his briefs and lightly biting his lip.

She placed his hand on her bottom and started to kiss him. Surprising her, he abruptly threw her on her back and ripped off her shorts. Within a matter of seconds he slipped inside of her with ease with one quick movement.

Eleanor gasped digging her nails into his back as he aggressively thrust in and out of her. He sped up the pace groaning into her ear. Jasper had never fucked her like this before. He was acting truly angry with the force that he was using. It almost began to hurt for Eleanor, but it simultaneously felt amazing. She felt her orgasm quickly approaching her. She moved with his hips and began to slightly shake as she felt the wave come over her.

"Come for me baby," he growled in her ear as she threw a pillow over her face to mask her powerful moan. It was the strongest orgasm she ever had. He quickly followed after her, collapsing on top of her inhaling and exhaling with extreme force.

They both laid in silence breathing heavily as she let out a whimper from the powerful tingling sensation that surged throughout her body. She was in slight pain. She had never had such a bizarre combination of pain and pleasure before. After a moment Jasper pulled out and sat on the edge of the bed pulling up his pants.

The sun had risen by this point and although it was still raining, the room was bright enough to see again. Eleanor gazed over to him with a million thoughts running through her head.

Jasper began to button his shirt back up. He turned to glance back at her with a dangerous expression. The look on his face was truly intimidating.

"It's six-thirty," he gestured toward her clock. "I need to shower and put on a clean suit before I'm on duty at seven."

She laid perfectly still watching him re-tie his tie and put on his shoes.

"Promise me," Jasper softly spoke walking to her side of the bed."That you will not drink today, or do any form of drug. I have a full day ahead with Liam and I don't want to be worrying about you."

With that, he lightly pecked her on the forehead and showed himself out of her room.

* * *

Eleanor stood under the shower head as the water poured over her body. She couldn't erase the look in Jasper's eyes after they had finished. The aggressive force that he had used. They intensity was unlike anything she had experienced before.. although it was extremely hot and felt unbelievable. _What was going through his mind?_

She turned off the shower and dried herself off. Looking out the window, she saw it was still pouring. With her towel still wrapped around her body she picked out a soft black sweater and grey leggings.

Eleanor heard her phone buzzing but couldn't find it anywhere. Listening carefully, she frantically dropped to the ground on hands and knees looking under her bed and dresser.

She finally heard the buzzing sound get louder as she approached her snake skin clutch. _No shit it would be in here.._ Feeling a pit in her stomach, she reached for the cell phone and soaked in several messages from Liam:

9:34 P.M. _Where did you go?_

10:16 P.M _. Why is James my temporary security detail for the night? Where's Jasper?_

10:28 P.M _Len you're worrying me._

10:46 P.M. _I hope you're safe wherever you are._

Like clockwork, Liam burst through her bedroom doors with Jasper close behind him. She was still sitting with her legs folded underneath her holding her cell phone. She winced looking up at the both of them.

"Hey broth-"

"Save it." He quickly shut her down. His face was red and he looked as though he was about to throw a punch at someone.

Eleanor glanced at Jasper who was standing against the wall with his hands folded. He had his eyes fixed on Liam with a worried look on his face.

"You couldn't go _one_ night without getting absolutely plastered."

She glared over at Jasper. _You said Liam didn't know._

"Lucky for you, you always have your knight in shining armor to catch you just as you fall," Liam hissed through his teeth glancing back at Jasper. "You are _damn_ lucky our mother and uncle didn't get the chance to see how fucked up you must have been. I could only imagine the hell they would be putting you through."

He walked up to her and got on his knees on the ground in front of her. "But it will be _nothing_ in comparison to the hell I'm about to give you," he put his face inches from hers.

Eleanor instinctively jolted back, and for once didn't have any witty comments to lash back at her brother. She lost her balance and fell back onto her ass. She looked like a wounded puppy.

"Liam- go easy on her.."

"Shut up Jasper," Liam snapped. "Look at me, Eleanor."

She refused to look at him and fixated her stare on her wooden floor.

"I said fucking look at me!" he shouted grabbing her chin and forcing her to peer into his eyes.

Eleanor was truly afraid. She had never seen her twin this angry and she didn't know what he was going to do. The tears abruptly started pooling in her eyes and leaked down her face.

"Liam your scaring me," she whimpered. Jasper impulsively jumped away from the wall toward Liam, prepared to tackle him.

"Good. Because you're scaring me," he seethed as he let go of her chin. Jasper stopped in his tracks.

"You need help. I will not stand by and watch you slowly kill yourself. I've lost enough people in my goddamn life."

This time, Liam's eyes started to well up but he didn't break eye contact. "You're very sick. You haven't eaten in days. Do you want to die? Do you? Because I can't prevent something if you are intentionally doing all of this."

"Stop it!" Eleanor screamed making her voice crack while plugging her ears.

Everything and everyone in the room fell quiet as the wind and rain dramatically hurled against the windows in her room.

"I'll change. I won't drink anymore. I won't do drugs," Eleanor whimpered. "I'm so sorry."

After catching his breath Liam grabbed her into his arms as she sobbed into his chest. She could feel tear drops falling on her head as her brother let his emotions pour out in silence.

"Here, take this," she said with her voice and body shaking. She handed him her precious box of goodies. She opened up her clutch and handed him the remainder of the cocaine.

Liam took both items from her and handed them to Jasper. "Get rid of it," he simply stated to his bodyguard.

Jasper didn't move. He was visibly shaken just as much as the twins were.

"Go!" Liam shouted as Jasper took one more look at Eleanor and promptly left the room.

After a few minutes of silence, Liam put his arm back around his sister.

"Remember," he softly spoke as she turned to look at him. "It's just you and me. You will get through this."

* * *

Liam left soon thereafter. He told her of a video that had gone viral where he professed his true feelings about the monarchy. Eleanor opened up her laptop to watch the video. He candidly spoke on England's monarchy and how their family had been shaped by murder, violence, and secret plots.

A #KingLiam hashtag was circulating very quickly amongst the people. A smile spread across Eleanor's face. Although she was almost certain that he was going to knock her out just minutes prior, she was extremely proud of her brother. He had grown so much over the last few years. She didn't want to let him down. She wanted to be as great and as healthy as her twin.. to her full potential.

James slowly opened up her bedroom door as she looked up from her laptop.

"Your highness- may I have a word with you?"

"Sure. Come on in you silver fox," she flirtatiously flipped her hair.

"I feel rather guilty. When I left your bedroom last night after checking on you, Prince Liam demanded that I explain the situation. I hope that he wasn't too hard on you."

She snorted as she rolled her eyes.

"Thank you for your honesty Mr. Hill. He chewed me out.. but I think I needed it."

He warmly smiled at her as he nodded his head.

"Just know that I will be here by your side through every step of your recovery Princess. I may be your bodyguard, but I am your friend as well."

Eleanor felt a warm sensation filling her chest. The genuine and supportive love that she had been lacking for so long.

"You're one of my only friends James. If anything, I believe you have recently been promoted as my best friend," she smirked folding her arms.

He gave her a grin before turning around and closing the door behind him.

Eleanor put her laptop to the side and stared out her water stained window. Liam had been angry with her for so long over her mistakes that she had lost sight of the love he has for her. And Jasper.. that was a lost cause. She didn't have a fucking clue what he was ever thinking or feeling.

It was the whole in her heart that needed to be filled. The void of not feeling loved. Truly, she felt unlovable and nothing short of a failure. If she had any shot at staying sober, she would quickly have to figure out a way to fill that void.

* * *

Later that night the storm died down. The rain had diminished to a light drizzle. Eleanor felt like shit. Craving alcohol, or just _one_ bump of cocaine, she couldn't get her mind off of it. She had smoked through easily half a pack of cigarettes within just a few hours.

Laying down in bed, she progressively felt worse. James had brought her tea and various kinds of food but she couldn't keep any of it down. She would profusely sweat, and then would transition to uncontrollably shivering under her blankets.

Eleanor didn't know what was going on with her body; perhaps she had the flu. Jasper cautiously walked into her room. She instantly pulled the covers up above her nose. _I don't want him to see me like this._

"I wanted to check on you," he carefully spoke.

She shook her head, still lightly shivering.

"Can I sit down?" he gestured to her bed.

She nodded her head yes.

He unbuttoned the bottom button of his jacket and calmly sat down.

"You look horrible," Jasper furrowed his eyebrows instantly regretting saying that.

"I _never_ look horrible," she snapped back, speaking through the sheet. "I just have the flu, or perhaps my body is still recovering from how violently you fucked me earlier."

His eyes widened, clearly not expecting to hear that. He shifted back and forth readjusting his placement on the bed. Eleanor smirked underneath the covers watching him squirm.

"No- I'm pretty sure you are just having withdrawal symptoms," he finally found the words.

 _Why didn't I think of that?_

"Perhaps."

"And what do you mean I violently fucked you? Did I hurt you or something?"

" _Jasper_ I've slept with plenty of men around the world.."

His eyes rolled. "What's your point?"

"And I've _never_ been pounded that aggressively.. by them, or you."

Jasper looked around the room and when he returned his gaze he had the similar dangerous expression that he had earlier.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Get the stick out of your ass," Eleanor sat up in her bed.

"I couldn't control it. I don't know what happened."

"Did you _want_ to hurt me?" she lightly spoke suddenly feeling her heart drop.

Jasper sat with his hands in his lap staring at the wall in front of him for a few seconds. Then he shot up from her bed and promptly buttoned his jacked.

"I'm not having this conversation with you," his eyes burned with rage. She felt afraid looking into them and she felt her stomach churn. He turned around walking away from her.

"Where do you think you're going? You think you can just walk away from me? I demand you to turn back around," Eleanor squeaked as the knot returned to her throat and she fought back tears.

"Why the fuck do you think I'm in the position I'm in Jasper? I have no one you prick!" she shouted throwing one of the decorative pillows off her bed at him.

Jasper sharply turned around and raced back to her bedside.

"What did I tell you the other night? I will never give up on you, Eleanor," he lowered his head so she was forced to look him in the eyes. "Do you want to know why I'm a changed man? I'm a changed man simply and entirely because I fell in love with the Princess. She challenges me, she excites me, she makes me feel like I'm not just a worthless, fucked up crook. She sees the good in people. She doesn't need drugs or alcohol to light up a room."

"I have so many goddamn emotions towards you I can't keep up with them myself. Yes, you absolutely make me furious, you scare me, aggravate the hell out of me. But I would travel to the ends of the Earth if it meant taking away your pain. _I love you_ so goddamn much Eleanor. Can't you see that?" Jasper's expression was worried and vulnerable.

Eleanor was stunned. She had never had a man pour their heart out to her quite like this. _Especially_ someone as difficult as Jasper Frost. He had just professed his love for her, and she didn't know how to feel. She couldn't feel.

Jasper sat back down on the edge of the bed as he buried his head in his hands. Running his hands through his hair, he turned to look at her once more hoping for some sort of a response. But she said nothing. She was thoroughly overwhelmed with anxiety. And then, she felt extremely sick as a wave of nausea consumed her. Eleanor widened her eyes and bolted to the bathroom.


	7. The Truth

The storm didn't let up the following day, and neither did Eleanor's detox. Yesterday she had promised her brother that she would no longer drink or do drugs. She even gave him her box of goodies. _That was a little extreme._ Oh, and a man named Jasper Frost had confessed his love for her. _He sure has a fucked up way of showing someone he loves them._

Eleanor laid in bed tossing and turning. It was 11:02 A.M. The detox gave her flu like symptoms and luckily her mother was convinced that was all it was.

She was quickly losing sight of why she promised to be sober.. this frankly wasn't very fun at all. Shifting back and forth in her bed, Eleanor thought of her secret stash that she kept in her closet. There wasn't nearly as much of an inventory as the box of goodies, but it was something. She tried her absolute hardest to avoid thinking about it.

After Jasper told her he loved her last night, Eleanor ran to the bathroom and got sick. _That wasn't very smooth._ He was gone by the time she had returned to her room. She didn't know how to feel about his confession.

On one hand, she knew deep down that she lusted for him and every inch of her body was _his._ On the other hand, Jasper was nothing short of a mischievous conman who had recently and conveniently "changed". At least that's what he told her.

Eleanor hadn't even admitted to Liam what Jasper's initial intentions were coming to the palace. She had been too busy getting high or drunk to be faced with the truth. She rolled around in her bed some more covering her head with one of the pillows.

Maybe her conscious would be cleared and she would have a better understanding of her truth if she were to come clean to her brother. With the relationship he has with Jasper on their quest to avenge their father, he deserved to know.

The minutes felt like hours as Eleanor laid in her bed with nothing but her thoughts. Aside from physically feeling terrible she was thoroughly mentally exhausted.

At around 3 P.M. she finally got up from her bed and took a shower. After throwing on sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt, she glared in the mirror at her appearance. She had no makeup on, her hair was still wet, she was wearing _sweatpants_ and she had dark circles under her eyes. _This sober thing doesn't look very good on me at all._

She called for James to come in. He promptly walked to her bedside.

"Your highness?"

"James I would like to speak to my brother. Could you call for him for me?"

Liam entered her room about an hour later. Eleanor was on her laptop on her bed.

"Sorry Len- I've been rather busy today. You look.. better," Liam winced as the lie left his mouth.

Eleanor let out a laugh. "That's a good one, brother. This sobriety thing is complete hell."

"Well you have to give it time Len. Your body is going through withdrawals."

"Yeah, withdrawals whatever.. look, come sit down," she gestured for him to sit down on the bed next to her.

"I wish I could stay, but Jasper just texted me. Apparently it's important. He said he needs to see me in the security room in the tunnels as soon as possible. He's been reviewing surveillance footage around the palace for me. I feel like we're extremely close to finding out who killed dad," Liam walked closer to her bed. "Jasper's the only one I can trust with this information around here."

"It can wait," Eleanor challenged her twin. "And besides, it's about that little bugger anyway. I'm not entirely sure if we can trust him, brother." She solemnly looked him up and down. "There's something you need to know."

* * *

Liam stormed through the tunnels. The wind from the storm dramatically howled throughout the dimmed area. Approaching the steel door, he paced back and forth rubbing the back of his neck.

 _That fucker said I could trust him. After all of this time. How could I have been such an idiot?_

He heard someone walking in the tunnels behind him. Liam's body stiffened up as he waited for them to get closer.

"Liam," Jasper spoke in a hurried tone. "I know this is going to be hard to watch-"

Before he could finish his sentence Liam threw a punch that made Jasper lose his balance and fall to the floor.

"You said I could trust you, you son of a bitch!" Liam hollered as he kicked Jasper's side.

Lightning lit up the tunnel. Jasper could see the outline of Liam's face. He looked thoroughly enraged. Jasper knew he was going to find out one of these days. But he was never ready to confront him.

"Liam stop!" Jasper begged as he covered his head. After a moment he stood back up only to have Liam gave him a swift punch in the stomach making him hurl over in pain.

Liam pulled him up by his hair and gave him one more solid, heavy punch right in the jaw.

Jasper fell in a puddle next to him violently coughing. He clutched onto his side trying to catch his breath.

"I'll fucking _kill_ you," Liam stood above him staring down. He fought back the urge to kick him again, clenching his fists. All of the rage that had built up since his father's death had finally reached its peak.. and unfortunately was all let out onto Jasper.

"Liam-" Jasper tried to sit up on his knees and go into his jacket.

Without trusting a move he made, Liam kicked him once more in the side.

"Take this," Jasper gasped for air. "I found who killed your father."

Liam finally let him move as Jasper took what looked like a video tape out of the inside of his jacket. There was blood coming out of the side of his mouth and a black eye was already forming.

Without any hesitation Liam snatched the tape from his hands and stormed into the security room, slamming the door behind him.

Jasper fell back into the puddle feeling like almost every bone in his body was broken.

* * *

Eleanor wasn't very happy with the way that Liam had stormed out of the room. After she came clean about Jasper's past, she didn't have time to calm her twin down. He was absolutely livid. Visibly more upset than he was yesterday when he confronted her.

 _Maybe coming clean was better on my conscious.. but not the best timing for Liam._ He too had been going through so much recently. Eleanor felt guilty for being selfish by focusing on her own issues and drowning them with booze and drugs. She hasn't been there for Liam.

After an hour passed, Eleanor had moved to lounge on her couch. She was incredibly anxious and felt that something was wrong. She flipped her cell phone in her hands waiting for her brother to reply to her.

5:04 P.M. _Liam where did you run off to?_

5:07 P.M. _I hope you aren't doing anything stupid.._

Not wanting to wait any longer, she got up off her couch and threw a sweater on. Eleanor opened up her door expressing to James that she would be back soon; she just had to find her brother.

Remembering that Liam said he was meeting Jasper in the security room, she made her way down to the tunnels. She was disgusted with the puddles of rain water that had formed around the floor as she accidentally stepped into one of them with her slipper.

It was darker than normal from the storm and the silence was deafening. As she slowly made her way across with only the light from her cell phone, she began to hear shallow breathing.

"H-Hello?" Eleanor viciously flashed her phone light around, suddenly wishing she had brought James with her. "Is someone there?"

Then it went silent again. Pulling up her cell phone she began to dial James' number. No service. _Dammit._

"Liam?" she squeaked as she continued further. The wind that was viciously rushing through the tunnel made her shiver. _Why the hell did I come down here?_

Eleanor knew she was approaching someone- or something as the breathing got louder.

" _Liam_ this isn't fucking funny!"she shouted starting to get angry.

"Elen- Eleanor?" she heard Jasper's voice startling her. She rapidly waved her cell phone light around until she focused it on him huddled up in one of the puddles. Eleanor instinctively screamed at the top of her lungs. He looked severely hurt, as though someone had just beat the shit out of him with every ounce of energy in their body.

"Princess?!" James bolted through the tunnel seconds later with a flashlight in his hand. In this moment Eleanor wasn't even agitated that her bodyguard had intuitively followed her. He rushed to her side flashing the light onto what she was starting at. "Mr. Frost are you alright?"

"Obviously he isn't alright James, for Christ sake," Eleanor hissed hugging her body.

James lowered down next to him and put Jasper's arm around his shoulder trying to lift him up. Jasper groaned in pain and fell back down.

"Mr. Pryce I need you down here immediately. The tunnels. Frost is hurt." James spoke into his earpiece.

Eleanor dropped on her knees next to him.

"What happened to you?" she softly spoke as he raised his head. The light from the flashlight illuminated the bruises, cuts and blood on his face.

Eleanor was hit with the reality that Liam must have gone after him after their conversation. This was all _her_ fault. She felt helpless watching Jasper sit up, visibly in excruciating pain.

Within minutes Ted Pryce, the royal head of security, dashed through the tunnel with a large flashlight in hand.

"What's going on here?" his voiced boomed as he approached Jasper. "What happened to you _Frost,_ " Pryce spoke in a tone that made Eleanor uncomfortable.

"I was attacked, I tried to chase someone out of the palace who broke in through the tunnel," Jasper lied with his voice almost at a whimper.

"Where is the attacker? Is he in the palace?"

"No- he got away. He's gone."

"Frost, how could you let someone trespass the palace and put you in this condition? Why didn't you call for help? Something doesn't seem right.." Pryce bent his knees so he was at eye level with him.

Jasper didn't respond.

"He can't stand up," James finally spoke. "We should take him to the hospital."

"I'm fine," Jasper gritted his teeth as he shielded the light of Pryce's light in his face. "I just need to sleep it off."

"I told you earlier, Frost. No more second chances. Now you tell me what's been going on here or I will have to report you to-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Pryce but I believe that I will have to stop you there. Jasper is not in any shape to be lectured by you at this very moment," Eleanor interrupted. She could feel her blood boiling.

"Your highness, I am only sticking to protocol. I must know exactly what happened to Mr. Frost, and what put him in this condition," Pryce persisted.

"He just bloody _told_ you," she felt her temper rising. "And sticking to protocol as the Princess, I demand you help take him to his room _now."_

"Very well," Pryce sounded defeated. "Let's go Hill."

Both bodyguards picked Jasper up from under his arms trying to place him on his feet. He let out a cry as he grabbed onto his side.

Eleanor watched in horror as he stumbled along the length of the tunnel. He was clearly leaning all of his body weight onto his comrades.

"I will meet you back in your room, your highness," James called as they approached the entrance to the palace.

* * *

Eleanor called Liam at least 8 times. He wouldn't answer the phone. She furiously texted him.

5:56 P.M. _Liam what the fuck did you do? You beat him half to death._

5:57 P.M. _I will not sit here any longer and have you ignore me. Answer me now before I lose my shit._

45 minutes later, Eleanor still hadn't gotten a response from her brother. Letting out a yell she threw her cell phone at the wall. She was so frustrated with how childish her twin acted. Yes, Jasper deserved a slap or two, but the condition he was in was reprehensible.

Without thinking twice she entered her walk-in closet and pulled a joint out of her secret stash. She lit it up and plopped on the floor. With every inhale, she felt her anger subside and her thoughts slow down.

 _Well at least I lasted one day. And this is just pot. I wouldn't even consider this a drug.._

After bartering with herself on her actions she left her closet and heard a knock on her door. Quickly panicking that it was Liam, she sprayed perfume hoping to mask the smell.

Thankfully, it was just James at the door.

"Princess. Forgive me for prying. But I do believe you were supposed to be quitting-"

"James it's just a joint. Calm down. Liam has a hold of all of my good stuff," she rolled her eyes. "Speaking of my lovely brother, have you seen him recently?"

"No, your highness."

"And what is Mr. Frost's condition?"

"We took him to his bedroom like you requested. I offered to have him checked out by one of the nurses but he refused."

"Well, how characteristically stubborn of him. I'm going to go check on him," Eleanor said as she passed Mr. Hill through her bedroom door with ease.

Quickly realizing she had no idea where his room was, or where the security detail resided, she turned back to James.

"Um, where again do you all sleep?"

"Downstairs three flights and make two left turns," James smirked.

"Right," Eleanor nodded her head. "And this time, there's no need for you to follow me." She promptly turned around and strutted toward the staircase.

After passing a few bodyguards who had bowed to her as she walked by, she finally asked and was directed into which room was Jasper's.

Approaching his door, she let herself in. The bedroom was a relatively large room. Though it was much blander than the others of the palace, it was a pleasant spot for a bodyguard to shack up.

The light from the bathroom was lighting up the rest of his room. She glanced at his bed and saw that he was lying on his back. There was a large window to her right that broadcasted the ongoing storm outside.

Eleanor slowly crept toward his bed. She didn't want to wake him as she suspected he was sleeping.

"So you told him," he suddenly spoke making her jolt.

" _Why_ do you always have to scare the shit out of me," she sighed as she threw her palm on her forehead.

Jasper laid on his bed still wearing muddy slacks. He had managed to get his jacket and tie off, but his dress shirt was soaking wet.

His beautiful face was littered with bruises and cuts. He was almost unrecognizable.

" _Jesus,_ " Eleanor winced as she put her face closer to his. "I didn't know my brother could throw such a good punch."

"Several punches.. and kicks," he corrected her.

She turned on the lamp on his bedside table and sat down on the bed beside him. She peered into his eyes feeling her heart drop into her stomach.

"I'm _so_ sorry," she finally spoke, letting her guard down. "This is all my fault."

"Don't say that," Jasper replied. "This is all _my_ fault. I had it coming to me."

"Well I guess you're right," she smirked with a pained expression on her face. "But I don't know why I feel so bloody bad then."

They sat in silence for a few moments as the rain pummeled against his window.

"Can I at least get you out of these filthy clothes?" she stood up and walked toward what looked like his closet.

Eleanor turned on the light which lit up several black jackets and white dress shirts.

"Do you wear anything other than a damn suit around here?" she shouted from the closet.

"My dresser," he softly spoke undoubtedly still in a great deal of pain.

Turning off the light she returned to his dresser and threw open the top drawer. She picked out some fresh boxers, a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants.

Before she closed the drawer, her eyes glimpsed over a picture that had been cut from one of the local newspapers. It was a shot of herself at a senior center during her charity tour where Jasper escorted her last year. She was grinning from ear to ear in the pose, holding a balloon in one hand and an elder woman's hand in the other.

Eleanor couldn't hold back a giggle as she remembered how high she was that day. She took enough ecstasy for a small group of people.

"What're you doing?" Jasper grunted as he shifted in his bed.

"Nothing," she quickly stashed the photo before closing the drawer. "Here, put these on."

Eleanor threw the clothing on top of Jasper, not paying any attention to the fact that he noticeably had trouble moving.

 _That picture was taken so long ago. It was during the time I began to grow fond of the twit, and apparently the same goes for him._

"I appreciate you trying to help.." Jasper started as her thoughts broke. He hadn't moved an inch as the dry clothing remained piled on top of him.

Eleanor couldn't hold back another giggle as she quickly picked the clothes back up.

"I'm glad you think this is funny."

"I don't. Sorry.." Eleanor felt her cheeks blush. "Here, I will help you."

She delicately put one of her arms behind his shoulders and helped him sit up. He quickly inhaled grabbing his side again. He stopped moving.

"What is it?"

"I think Liam really fucked my ribs up," he let out a sigh finally unbuttoning his shirt. Eleanor helped take the soaking wet garment off his arms and threw it on the floor. With a quick movement she put the black shirt over his head and guided his arms through.

"I'm all for being stubborn," Eleanor began. "But I really think you should see one of the nurses here, at least get checked out to be sure nothing is broken. You won't be a very good body guard in this condition." She took a tissue and dabbed the blood on the side of his mouth.

"Fine."

After another 5 painful minutes, she finished assisting him change into dry pants.

"I've got to say, it is nice having you take care of _me_ for once," Jasper whispered.

"Don't get used to it. I'll be right back."

20 minutes passed. Eleanor re-emerged into the room with one of the nurses on duty next to her. She resumed her position on the bed next to him. The older lady sat Jasper up to the best of his ability, and began lightly pressing her fingers along the left side of his body.

Once her fingers approached his rib cage, he cried out in brutalizing pain. Eleanor instantly grabbed onto his hand and stroked it with her thumb. She absolutely hated seeing him in this much agony.

"Mr. Frost I strongly advise you go to the hospital," the nurse urged. "I believe there may be a rib fracture."

As the nurse finished her sentence, Liam burst through his bedroom door alarming all three of them. He walked in with an expression that was purely unreadable. He looked angry, scared, confused, sad..

"Liam," Eleanor addressed him, not letting go of Jasper's hand.

"You aren't answering your cell phone. I need to speak with you Len. It's important," he spoke, eyeing Jasper.

"Can't you tell I'm a _little_ busy, brother?"

"You should go," Jasper interjected. "I'll be fine, I promise."

Liam didn't move. Eleanor turned her gaze back to Jasper. She lightly brushed his damp hair to the side on his forehead and caressed the side of his bruised cheek with her hand before standing up.

"I'll be back soon," she gently spoke walking away from him. She didn't make eye contact with Liam as she passed him. "Well, let's go then."

Liam took one more glance at Jasper and then turned around following his sister out of the room.


	8. The Plan

**A/N: Hi friends! I know that there was a little confusion as to why Jasper didn't fight back Liam in the previous chapter. I envisioned that Jasper was simply "taking" the punches as he knew that he deserved some form of punishment. And the last thing that he would want to do is further any damage by retaliating and possibly hurting Liam more than he had turned out himself. ;] As always thanks so much for the feedback and comments, each one I read makes me smile. Happy reading!**

* * *

"What do you want now?" Eleanor snapped as she lead Liam up the staircase. "You clearly got enough off of your chest."

"Lower your voice," Liam commanded as he reached the top of the staircase. "Trust me when I say we need to talk, in private, where no one can find us."

Her expression dropped as she began to grow worried.

The rain outside had subsided, and the moonlight began to peak through the clouds. After instructing her to grab a coat, Liam guided her outside of the palace. They walked along a pebble road to the spot that they used to play in when they were children. It's where they would escape to whenever they wanted to get away from the tension of the palace.

"Len please remain as calm as you can when I tell you this," Liam grabbed onto his sister's shoulders squaring them so she was facing him.

"What is it?" she whispered. Eleanor pulled the hood of her coat up over her head and hugged her body.

"Dad's killer. It was Pryce," Liam bluntly stated with his eyes wide open.

"No, no it can't be.." Eleanor didn't physically react. "Liam, you must be wrong."

"I wish I was Len. Jasper found the surveillance tape of the stabbing." His grip on her shoulders tightened. He was prepared for the worst.

"No! He couldn't have," she hissed through her teeth. Her voice was hoarse.

"Get off of me!" she shouted at him trying to break free of his grasp. Eleanor was suddenly filled with fury as she viciously tore his hands off of her and turned around. She vigorously dashed away from the palace.

"Eleanor, stop!" Liam chased after her and grabbed her from behind. "Please.."

She slowly collapsed into his arms violently sobbing. Liam didn't know what to do but to hold her. Eleanor was consumed with outrage and utter disbelief.

"Our father trusted him. I was _just_ with the bastard in the tunnels a couple of hours ago.. I think I'm going to be sick." She began hyperventilating.

Liam stood in silence still holding onto her. He knew that he had to tell his sister the truth, but he wasn't prepared with what do _after_ telling her.

"Just let go of me!" Eleanor shrieked, repetitively beating against his arms attempting to be released from his embrace. He wouldn't let go of her. After finally giving up she fell to the ground burying her head in her hands.

Her cries echoed around them as he huddled around her, hugging her as close as he possibly could.

"We will avenge our father. I promise you that. I promise on his grave." It began to lightly sprinkle again. "Let's get back inside," he spoke as the mist turned into a steady rain.

"I can't- I won't go back in there with that _murderer_." Eleanor finally looked her brother in the eyes as the steady rain turned into a downpour. "I can't handle this anymore Liam, I just can't. I want to leave and never come back."

"You're not going anywhere, Len. I'm here to protect you.. and so is Jasper."

"How dare you speak his name after what you did to him?!" she shouted with raindrops and tears streaming down her face. Eleanor shoved him with all of her strength.

"You _knew_ that he would never fight back, and yet you nearly beat the man to death. After he spent hours and hours watching surveillance footage for _you_. He's the one who discovered the truth of our father, not you. How does it feel brother?"

Liam finally backed away from his sister and put his hands on his face wiping the rain drops off.

"I feel horrible about what I did to Jasper," he hissed through his teeth with his voice shaky. "I was overcome with rage, Eleanor. After what he did to you, after learning about his past, I thought I couldn't trust him.."

Eleanor stood before him doused in rainwater with her arms folded. After a moment of silence Liam took one more stride toward his sister.

"Jasper may have taken the first step in avenging our father, but I'm going to take the final step and finish this," he whispered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's get inside," Liam grabbed a hold of her arm and guided her back toward the palace.

" _Liam_ tell me what you're going to do," Eleanor begged as they approached one of the doors.

Their mother greeted them at the entrance.

"In the pouring rain when you have the flu.. now that's brilliant." Helena's gaze burned through Eleanor. Her arms crossed in the similar fashion as her daughter.

"Mum," Eleanor acknowledged her mother.

The Queen looked before her at both of her children soaking wet and slightly shivering. Eleanor looked like she was going to burst into tears while Liam held an ominous expression. He still had a grip on his sister's arm.

"What're the two of you up to.." Helena looked both of them up and down.

"Nothing mum, we just had to talk-"

"Bullshit," Helena cut off her son. "Now you tell me what's going on."

She led them into an empty bedroom that Eleanor had never been in.. there were too many damn rooms in this palace.

Helena slammed the door shut behind them as the twins began to take their drenched coats off in silence. They were careful not to make eye contact with their mother.

"I'm waiting," Helena pressed. "We can stay in here all goddamn night if that's what you wish."

Eleanor turned her head toward Liam and glared at him, waiting for him to speak up. But he said nothing.

"We know who killed dad," Eleanor finally broke the silence. "And there's video footage of it."

She sat down on the floor supporting her back up against a bed.

" _Tell me_ who killed your father, Eleanor."

She didn't reply as she leaned her head on her hand and looked up at Liam. _Fucking say something._

"Eleanor! You tell me _right_ now," Helena threatened as she rushed forward and held her daughter's chin up.

"It was Ted Pryce." Liam finally spoke up.

The Queen's eyes lit up with horror. Following a moment of silence, she straightened up her posture and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.

"Go back up to your rooms and put on some dry clothing, for fucks sake. I will take care of this," Helena spoke in a tone that was almost _too_ calm.

The Queen promptly turned around and strutted out of the room.

Liam offered his hands to help Eleanor stand back up.

* * *

"Eleanor," she heard James speak. She had never heard him call her by her first name before. "Are you okay?"

Eleanor had been sitting on the floor of her bedroom, still in soaking wet clothing with her head on her knees.

James bent his knees trying to make eye contact, but she wouldn't look at him.

"Where's Jasper," she whispered. He was the only person she could think of. He was the only one that could possibly stabilize her state of mind in this moment.

"Mr. Frost is in the hospital. He's not in the best condition, but he will be alright. I can get the number if you would like to call him."

"No. Take me to the hospital," she weakly responded, finally lifting her head.

Eleanor made her way into her walk-in closet. She disposed of the wet garments and tossed on a comfy silk black dress with navy blue tights and black converse sneakers.

Applying makeup for the first time in days, she unsteadily put on some eye shadow and a tad bit of eyeliner. After blow drying her hair she threw on a new coat that would keep her body warm.

"I'm ready to go," she emerged from her bedroom meeting James.

Mr. Hill led the Princess out to the car covering her with an umbrella.

The ride in the limousine felt like it lasted forever. Eleanor stared outside the water stained windows. For once her mind had gone entirely blank. It was as if her thoughts had reached over capacity and backfired into nothingness.

They finally approached the hospital that Jasper had been transferred to. James opened up her door and helped her out of the car. She leaned most of her weight onto him as they neared the entrance.

Eleanor waited behind James as he approached the front desk and instructed the staff of their scenario. She hated being in the hospital. Especially after her accident. Doctors and nurses rushed by whispering to each other and gawking at the Princess. She put the hood of her coat on and stared at the ground, not wanting to be recognized.

Within minutes they were lead to Jasper's room. The nurse opened up his door, exposing an extremely dark room.

"I brought your cell phone," James spoke with one eyebrow up as he reached into his jacket. Eleanor gave half a smile as she took the phone and looked at the cracked screen. _Maybe I shouldn't have thrown it as hard earlier.._

"Thank you for everything Mr. Hill," she whispered giving him a hug.

"Call me whenever you want me to pick you up your highness." He showed himself out of the room.

"Mr. Frost, you have a visitor," the nurse quickly spoke turning on a dim light in the room.

Jasper let out a sharp breath as one of his eyes opened. There were tiny band aids covering the cuts across his face and a large icepack covering the left side of his rib cage underneath the blanket that covered him.

The nurse gave a nod to Eleanor as she turned around and closed the door behind her.

"Hi," Eleanor's voice was extremely shaky. She put her hands in the pockets of her coat and gradually walked up to the side of his bed.

"Len," he softly spoke, looking over to her observing her whole body up and down. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I don't know," she honestly replied glancing up at ceiling. Tears began to stream down her face. She was tired of trying to fight them back. "I just wanted to see you.. I should be taking care of you," her voice cracked as she grabbed onto his hands.

"It's okay." His eyes penetrated through her soul. "I love you.. I will never give up on you. I promise."

Eleanor recognized the slur in his voice. He was presumably on a substantial amount of pain killers.

Her tiny body was able to fit on the hospital bed next to him. She cuddled up to his body and delicately placed her palm on his chest.

"I don't want to be at that _joke_ of a palace, it's full of lies and deceit and-"

"Mhmm," he mumbled closing his eyes again.

Looking up at him she reached her hand from his chest onto his hair, lightly stroking it to the side. She soothingly ran her nails up and down the side of his arm.

"You're the only person on the planet that I want to be with right now," Eleanor whispered. Just being in his presence made her feel safe.. even with an injured rib and high on morphine.

After a few minutes he began to breathe deeper and his eyes remained closed. She assumed that he had fallen asleep.

"I _love_ you so much Jasper. I always have," she softly spoke. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Eleanor felt a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders as she rested her head on his shoulder. She delicately laid her arm along his waist where she knew wouldn't hurt him.

She laid by his side for quite a while until a nurse opened the door, flooding the dark room with bright light. Eleanor slowly sat up trying not to wake him.

"Your highness, I'm so sorry to ask. But it would be best if you were to sleep on the couch. His injuries could worsen if-"

"It's okay," Eleanor whispered as she crept off the hospital bed. She laid down on the couch as the nurse offered her a pillow and blanket. Once the nurse left them alone in the room, Eleanor went back to his side once more and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. Then she laid on the uncomfortable couch and threw the blanket over her.

* * *

The sun decided to come out the following morning, parting through the remaining clouds in the sky. The light filled the hospital room and directly hit Eleanor in the eyes through the blinds. She let out a funny sounding snort as she viciously woke up.

"What the hell was that?" she heard Jasper chuckle from across the room.

She sat up on the lumpy couch and rubbed her eyes.

"Didn't have the best night of sleep Princess?"

"Oh _shut up_ you," Eleanor hissed looking over to him. Her hair was a mess and her eye makeup was smudged.

"When was the last time you slept on a rugged old couch, your highness?"

" _I said_ shut up _._ "Eleanor stood up and walked toward his bed. "Do they already have you all doped up on meds this morning?"

The look of amusement on Jasper's face made her feel warm inside. He truly did love to get a rise out of her, even in the most horrible of scenarios.

"How're you feeling today?" she asked pulling up a chair next to him.

"Well, the meds certainly help.. How did you take the news?" The abrupt change of topics made Eleanor frown.

"I don't want to believe it. And Liam is up to something. I just know it. I don't want him to do anything stupid.. again," she smirked looking him up and down.

"He's a smart kid.. most of the time. I wouldn't worry too much."

Eleanor heard a buzzing noise in her bag as she pulled out her busted up cell phone. 5 missed calls from Liam.

"Did you mean it?" Jasper suddenly spoke, his piercing blue eyes staring into hers.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eleanor felt her cheeks begin to burn as she quickly looked back down at her phone.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Princess," he firmly grabbed onto her hand making her insides turn.

Her phone began buzzing in her hand as Liam started calling her again.

"Ah- hello brother," she chirped answering the phone. _That was close._

Jasper rolled his eyes as he listened in.

"Oh.. um room 207," she said glancing at a plaque on the door. She hung up shortly thereafter and gave a worried look to Jasper. Eleanor sat down on the bed next to him careful not to make him move. She laced her fingers into his. She could see a slight smile on his face.

Within minutes there was a knock on the door. Liam slowly entered, holding a bouquet of an assortment of beautiful flowers. He had a shy smirk on his face. Jasper said nothing, but tried to adjust himself to sit up better.

Liam rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand as he approached them.

"I picked these out specially for you." A slight crack of a smile spread across his face.

"They're beautiful," Jasper bluntly stated. His expression was impassive.

"Look Jasper, I don't even know where to begin.. I wasn't able to sleep last night. You never deserved that, no matter how dark of a past you have. You never stopped until you found the truth about our father, and you did.. I had so much anger built up, I lost control-"

"Let's just consider ourselves even," Jasper interjected. He slipped his hand out of Eleanor's and reached it out toward Liam. They shook hands and Liam let out a sigh of relief. "We need to stick together during this time."

Eleanor couldn't help but smile. She was so happy to see the two most important men in her life make amends and put the drama behind them.

"So what's the plan from here?" Jasper asked grabbing back onto Eleanor's hand and stroking it with his thumb.

She felt butterflies in her stomach. _Jesus woman keep it together. What am I, 12?_

"The King's Cup is this weekend. My mother and I discussed a few options and we came up with a plan. _"_ Liam got closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "She will ride with Pryce to the event, and Len and I will break into to the media room. When the time is right, we will play the video for the entire arena to see.. and give that son of a bitch what he deserves."

Eleanor felt her heart sink as a wave of anxiety hit her. Would they really be able to pull this off? What if one of them ended up hurt? What would she do without Jasper by her side to protect her?

"How will you guys break in? And who will be there to protect her- I mean you guys? I won't be able to leave my room back at the palace for at least a couple weeks they said."

"James is in," Liam responded. "What's the damage?"

"Fractured rib."

Liam winced. "I'm so sorry mate."

"Let's just move past it. The painkillers work _tremendously_ ," Jasper replied as Eleanor rolled her eyes.

* * *

A few days later, Eleanor woke up feeling immensely nervous. Today was the King's Cup. She didn't have enough confidence in herself to pull it off. So many things could go wrong today. She had never missed vodka more than she did this morning.

 _Just one shot would help calm my nerves and give me the boost of confidence I need.._

In an attempt to naturally calm herself down, she made her way down to Jasper's room. He was already awake, and was watching a show on the television that she had put in for him.

"Good morning beautiful," he spoke with a raspy voice. Eleanor couldn't fight back a smile as she walked toward his bed.

The new king size bed, also put into his room followed by the orders of the Princess, was big enough for both of them to fit. It gave him more space to be comfortable during his recovery as well.

"I _hate_ to admit this," she softly spoke sitting on the bed beside him. "But I'm really afraid to not have you by my side today."

"Well I told you that you wouldn't always have me there to protect you, Princess."

" _Jesus_ , can't you have a little sympathy Jasper? I'm crawling out of my skin here. What if I fuck it all up?"

"You will do amazing baby." He cupped her face in his hand.

Her heart fluttered. She loved when he called her that. _Focus._

"Right. Well I better go get dressed then."

"If you need anything, you call me. Fractured rib or not, I will be there within 2 minutes to kick anyone's ass."

Eleanor snorted. "Okay Rambo. Can I get you anything before I leave?"

Jasper looked her in the eyes with his intense stare. "You know what I want."

She stretched her leg around him very carefully, straddling him. Putting his scruffy face in her hands, she delicately placed her lips onto his. They passionately kissed until things began to grow _too_ heated and Eleanor stopped herself. He looked a little disappointed.

Still holding his face in her hands, she felt the words come out of her mouth without thinking twice.

"I love you Jasper."

A grin spread across his face. Seeing him smile was a rare sight, and made her whole body tingle. His smile was infectious.

"I love you too Eleanor. More than you know."


	9. The King's Cup

**A/N: Alright guys! The time has come! Here's my version of the season 2 finale. Let me know what you think.. and** _ **please**_ **leave suggestions about where you think the story should go from here. Although I have a few ideas set in mind, I think it's going to take some time to expand my imagination from here. As always, happy reading :]**

* * *

Eleanor put on a vibrant red dress that cut off at her thighs. It was complemented with black boots that were almost tall enough to touch her dress. A black belt synched her waist with a heavy spiked necklace to match.

She gazed at herself in the mirror applying a dark smoky eye. She stopped half way through applying her makeup. She paused to stare at her reflection.

Eleanor wasn't ready for this. But she knew what had to be done. With a helpless look on her face, she applied one last layer of mascara before straightening her posture. She gave the best confident expression she could give, trying to reaffirm her reflection in the mirror.

Soon thereafter James knocked on her door, letting himself in.

"Are you ready your highness?" he apprehensively asked.

" _Please_ , for the love of God.. just call me Eleanor already," she ridiculed. Clearly her emotions were already taking the best of her.

James offered his hand out to the Princess and lead the both of them towards Liam's bedroom. He firmly knocked on his door twice.

There was no answer after a minute or so, and Eleanor was instantly consumed with anxiety.

She pulled out her cell and dialed his phone which went straight to voicemail.

" _Goddammit_ Liam," she hissed supporting her body up against the wall.

"Your highness- I mean Eleanor," James corrected himself. "He is probably waiting for us by our transportation."

Mr. Hill lead her through the palace out to the limousine that was waiting for them. She peered inside the window hoping to find her brother.

"He's not in there James," Eleanor snapped.

"Perhaps he took a different car. Let's get in, the time is dwindling," James calmly spoke looking at his watch.

 ***20 minutes before***

Although he had intended to follow through with the plan, Liam was once again overcome with animosity. He paced back and forth in his room, trying to push the demons out of his head. They were telling him to take matters into his own hands. To end Ted Pryce's life _himself._ This would be the proper way to avenge his father. He reached underneath his bed and gripped onto a pistol. He knew what he had to do.

Liam gazed out of his window waiting for his mother and Pryce's limo to arrive. Once he saw it approach, he dashed down the stairs of the palace and sprinted toward the car.

 ***Present***

James helped Eleanor into the limousine. She sat down in her seat knowing that something wasn't right. Liam should have been in his room as he previously instructed.

Eleanor glanced at the bar in the limo that was fully stocked before her. She lightly chewed on her nails glancing back and forth at her bodyguard.

"Give me my cell phone," she demanded as she extended her arm. James put his arm into his jacket and placed it in her hand.

She tried twice more, but it still went to voicemail.

It was then that she realized it may be time to contact Ted Pryce.

Whether it was an 'innocent' phone call or not, it could be one of the most detrimental calls of her life.

After a few rings the phone picked up.

"Hello Princess," she heard Ted pick up the phone. She could sense the fearful tone in his voice.

Taking a chance, Eleanor went for it. "Pryce, I need to speak to my brother."

"It's for you," she heard him speak as a ruffled noise brushed against his cell phone.

A few seconds later she heard her brothers voice.

"Hello?"

"L-Liam?" she stuttered trying her absolute best to keep calm. "Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing.. _do not_ harm Pryce. If you do what I think you are about to do, everything that dad invested into you will be wasted. You are better than this Liam. And I can't afford to lose you." Eleanor ran her hands through her hair, as the tears filled her eyes.

"Okay Len," he spoke in a soft tone. Liam quickly hung up.

With a pained expression on her face she turned her head away from James and stuffed her phone in her purse.

Eleanor grabbed one of the Grey Goose vodka bottles from the stash and took a lengthy chug. She no longer cared who saw her. She glanced at her body guard who uneasily stared at her but was wise enough to not say a word.

Five to six chugs later, their limousine arrived at the King's Cup.

James exited the limo first and extended his arm to help Eleanor out of the car. She stumbled onto him as he lead her toward the media room.

Back at the palace, Jasper laid in his bed flipping between channels. He obsessively checked his phone, hoping to retrieve a text from Eleanor. He tried his best to have full faith in Hill who he genuinely trusted. However, no one would make him feel fully secure unless he was beside her.

"I guess it's just us now Mr. Hill," Eleanor slurred into James' ear as he lead her toward the media room.

"Stay here," he earnestly stared into her eyes putting both of his hands on his shoulders. "I will be right back."

Within minutes James emerged from the media room carrying someone's unconscious body over his shoulder.

" _Go,_ " he urged her, referencing toward the door. "I will be waiting outside, guarding the door. It's all in your hands now Princess."

Eleanor wobbled on her high heeled boots entering the media room. Her vision was slightly blurry, but the spacious view of the arena from the large window quickly sobered her up. She hugged her body as she moved closer to the window.

She gazed over the hundreds of thousands of rowdy people that filled the stadium. Her knees involuntarily wobbled as she grabbed her cell phone from her purse.

11 texts from Jasper.

Eleanor disregarded his advances as she plugged her phone into the primary outlet source that James had previously instructed. The outlet lead to the several screens across the arena.

She scrolled through the saved videos on her phone to the undisclosed video of her father's stabbing. Within a couple of seconds her cell phone reaffirmed that the video had been transmitted and was ready to go.

Eleanor plopped down on one of the squishy office chairs in the room and anxiously spun around the room. _Where are Liam and Pryce now and are either of them hurt?.. if Liam hasn't already bloody shot the man. Why couldn't my stubborn brother just follow through with the plans? Now all of this is in_ _my_ _hands.._

It wasn't until she gazed upon a long limousine which approached the center of the field that her heart jumped in her throat. Eleanor watched her brother emerge from the car, stomping at a furious pace toward the microphone. Pryce trailed not too far behind.

She inhaled sharply as she watched their father's murderer follow closely behind her twin.

The crowd around the stadium boomed, "King Liam! King Liam!" over and over.

"What you see of our family is what we allow you to see. But what you are about to see is the truth.. on my father's grave," Liam spoke. His face was lit up across the stadium screens as he spoke.

The arena settled down to a small chatter amongst themselves.

Within a matter of seconds the shot transitioned from Liam's face to footage of their Grandmother in the palace strutting toward Liam and the Queen. It looked like it had been taken by a hidden camera. Eleanor instantly realized that they had been set up. Domino's family alliance had programmed their Gran's confession of killing Dominique to be shown to the people.

Eleanor knew she only had seconds to act. Her eyes darted across the room as she hovered her finger above her phone. All she had to do was push a single button on her phone and it would all be over. Her father would be avenged, and Pryce would be exposed.

She felt her heart rate accelerate in her chest as she began to pace across the room with her palm on her head. _Shit, shit, shit. I can't do this.. I can't-_

Involuntarily, her finger slammed onto the 'play' button which instantly projected the video of her father walking along the street. In the video Pryce walked up to the King and swiftly stabbed their father, who slowly collapsed onto his shoulder and then onto the ground.

Eleanor slapped both of her hands onto her mouth in disbelief. _Oh no, no, no.._

This was the first time she had seen the footage of her father and it broke her heart in more ways than one.

Eleanor watched as the disorderly crowd rushed toward Pryce. Liam sprinted back toward the limousine, safely making it inside before the mass circled around them. His car cautiously made its way through the large group of people who slammed Pryce's body up against it. They surrounded Ted, presumably beating him to death with their bare hands.

Eleanor watched in horror as her actions unfolded in front of her. She fell back onto the chair instantly breaking out into tears as James burst into the room.

"Princess, we need to leave _now!_ " he shouted as he picked her up by both hands and lead her toward the secret exit. The glare of paparazzo's cameras flashed in her eyes as she lifelessly made her way through the crowd following James' lead.

Once they were safe back inside of their transportation, Eleanor instantly grabbed for the bottle of Grey Goose and chugged the bottle for a solid 10 seconds.

"Your highness.." James was out of breath.

"Save it," she hissed at him, taking another pull.

Eleanor looked out the window in dismay as the people of England pounded on their car.

Her chest heaved up and down as she glanced at her cell phone in her hand. Jasper was calling her. She was quick to ignore his call as she laid on the length of the indoor couch and curled her body up into a ball.

"Frost," she heard James pick up his cell phone. "I know, I know. Please calm down. We are in the car and she's safe. I understand that Prince Liam-"

Eleanor lifted her head and stared at her body guard.

"He hung up on me." James spoke shrugging his shoulders. "Are you going to be okay Eleanor?"

"In what respect Mr. Hill? That's an extremely broad question," she slurred putting her head back down on the seat.

"You did a great job today your highness. Pryce got what he deserved. I know this must be extremely difficult on you, but I'm very proud of you. And your mother and brother will be too."

Eleanor snorted rolling on her back. "My mother and brother can't even stick to a bloody plan. They're both too selfish. Instead, the drug addict alcoholic had to save the day."

Her cell phone starting buzzing in her hand. It was Liam this time.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" her tone dramatically changed as she sat erect in her seat. "Have you officially lost your mind?"

"Eleanor, I'm so sorry. You really saved me in several ways today.. I can't say enough how-"

"Now listen here brother. While you were having fun playing games doing whatever the hell you were doing in that limo.. I had to follow through _alone_ in order to now, not only save your ass, but essentially have Pryce killed. His blood is on _my_ hands alone now."

"It's not all on your hands-"

"Fuck _you,"_ Eleanor hissed as she lowered the window with her other hand and chucked her phone out of it.

With pursed lips she looked toward James. Once again, he was smart enough to not say anything.

"Excuse me, driver?" Eleanor banged her fist on the back of the dividing window. The driver lowered it.

"Your highness?"

"We will be making a change of plans. I will not be returning to the palace. Take me to the finest hotel you can think of," she demanded picking the vodka bottle back up.

"Eleanor," James finally spoke up. "I will have to notify the palace of your whereabouts.. especially Mr. Frost."

" _My_ whereabouts? You're coming with me!" she shouted trying to offer the bottle to James.

He looked her up and down and shook his head at the bottle. Eleanor felt her cheeks flush as she placed it back into the bar.

* * *

Jasper glared at the television screen which broadcasted the catastrophe at the King's Cup. _How dare Liam leave Eleanor alone? How could he be so stupid as to take the Queen's car and ride with Pryce? Where is Eleanor? Why won't she answer my calls? Why is her phone off now?_

His thoughts spiraled into a dark place envisioning the worst possible scenarios. He slowly got out of bed and placed the icepack onto the floor. He let out a groan in pain, but he didn't care. It was more painful to wait around any longer.

Liam burst through his bedroom door with a worried look on his face.

"We have to find Len," he spoke out of breath.

"If I wasn't in the condition I was in right now, I would break your fucking teeth in," Jasper growled leaning up against his dresser.

"Look we will have plenty of time in the future for you to do so, but I heard my sister's voice over the phone and I could tell she was extremely intoxicated. After she hung up on me I'm pretty certain she either turned her phone off.. or most likely threw it out the window knowing her. We have to go."

"Call Hill, _now,_ "Jasper demanded as he took one of his crutches under his right arm and limped forward.

"Jasper, I really don't think you should be walking around just quite yet-"

" _Fucking_ call him before I come at your throat."

* * *

James escorted Eleanor into her room on the top floor. The penthouse had a widespread window that overlooked London. She could see the London Eye, and the lights that twinkled throughout the city.

"This is much better than that filthy old palace, wouldn't you say so James? Make yourself comfortable and stop staring at me with that dreadful worrisome look.. You know I hate that," Eleanor drunkenly smiled pointing her finger in his face.

She was quick to jump backward into a huge king sized bed that had a comfier duvet than her own room. Eleanor felt mentally and physically numb. Nothing phased her in his very moment.

James walked into one of the kitchens as his phone lit up in his hand. It was Liam.

"Your highness," he calmly answered.

"Hill, where's my sister?" Liam hurriedly spoke.

"She's safe. We are located at the Royal Houseguards."

"We are on our way."

"Your highness, with all due respect," James remained composed. "I don't believe it is in your or the Princess' best interest to be in each other's presence at the moment."

As he spoke he tore a new bottle of vodka out of Eleanor's hands that she had found in the mini bar of the fridge. She glared at him and flipped him off.

"Hill says she doesn't want to see me," Liam hung up his phone. He sat down on a chair and put his head in his hands. "What was I _thinking_?"

"As much as I would love to sit here and partake in your pity party, I have my girlfriend to go find," Jasper snapped as he struggled out his bedroom door.

After being rejected by several clientele in the palace to get him a car due to his condition, Jasper waddled out into the street and hailed a taxi.

"Where should we go James?" Eleanor jumped from couch to couch knocking pillows onto the ground.

James sat at a table adjacent with his head on his hand.

"Will it be Paris? Or Fiji? Oh- I've never been to Fiji!"

"Princess, we're not going to Fiji," he rolled his eyes watching her move about like a child.

Eleanor stopped her movement and looked over to him. "Well you and I both know damn well that I am not returning to that god forsaken palace." Her whole mood changed.

"So we can either stay cooped up in this penthouse forever.. or travel the world!" she beamed. Although she was smiling, the pain on her face was strikingly evident. "I need more vodka."

"Eleanor I will not allow you to drink anymore. To be quite honest I am not sure how you are even standing right now. You finished the whole bottle in the limousine."

"You're no fun."

James felt a buzz in his jacket as he took his phone out.

"Meet me in the lobby." Jasper texted him.

"I must step out for a moment. I want to grab a snack from downstairs. Would you like anything?"

"Mr. Hill there is a whole refrigerator stocked with food.. and we could easily order room service." Although she was wasted, she could still pick up on the fact that he was hiding something.

"Is Liam here?" she snapped crossing her arms.

"No- no your highness."

"I told you to call me Eleanor."

His phone starting buzzing in his jacket as he glanced down and hesitated to reach for it. He looked back up at the Princess who was glaring at him.

"Go on- answer it," she pressed.

James sighed and picked up Jasper's call. "Frost. I can't meet you right now."

"Jasper's here?!" she yelled throwing both of her arms in the air. "He's supposed to be in bed! He is so _goddamn_ stubborn!"

On the other end, Jasper could hear Eleanor rambling and slurring.

"Then I will come meet you. Tell me what floor you guys are on."

"...fifteen," James slowly responded as he watched her knock into a table, crashing a lamp onto the floor.

Jasper hung up.

"Oops," Eleanor laughed as she ran toward the fridge. She swiftly took the bottle that had been taken from her earlier and cracked it open.

James didn't know what to do at this point. She was simply and entirely out of control and he didn't know what he could possibly due to simmer down her erratic behavior.

He was thoroughly relieved when he heard Jasper pounding on the door. He opened the door for him and helped him walk inside.

Jasper watched in astonishment as Eleanor danced around the room barefoot twirling her bright red dress with the bottle of vodka in her hand. She peeked out the large window and lowered her top flashing the people below.

"Here's your Princess, England!" she shouted.

James raised an eyebrow at Jasper. "I tried," he dryly spoke.

Jasper limped up behind Eleanor. Her expression fell as she turned to him. Her cheeks flushed pulling her top back up. It was as if she had completely forgotten that Jasper was just on the phone with James minutes prior.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jasper spoke with a low growl. "Do you think that this behavior is going to solve anything?"

She could see tears forming in his eyes.

"Oh don't get all emotional on me, I'm just having a little fun.. aren't I James?" she shouted to her bodyguard who quickly turned his gaze to the floor.

"I'm going to step outside," James straightened his jacket before turning towards the door.

"Come on now, don't leave! The party's just starting!" she squealed. Eleanor continued to prance around the room again.

"I think that you have had enough, Eleanor. Put the bottle _down,"_ Jasper demanded as he started toward her.

" _Don't_ tell me what to do!" she yelled at him making him take a step backward. He had never seen her act this way. Of the many highs and lows that he had seen Eleanor go through, this was something on another level.

He finally took a seat on one of the chairs grimacing in pain.

"I understand that you are upset," Jasper spoke through his hands facing the floor.

"Upset?!" Eleanor skipped toward the seat next to him. "Why, I'm fucking _wonderful_ ," she whispered in his ear.

"Why on Earth would I be upset? It's not like I just essentially murdered somebody or anything.."

"Eleanor you didn't fucking murder Pryce. We don't even know if he's dead. You purely exposed him. All of us did." Jasper rocked back and forth in his chair seething in pain.

"If you solely saw the way he was thrown against Liam's car, you would know. There were thousands of people surrounding him. He's _dead._ Ophelia's father.." her voice trailed off as she sat on the edge of a bed.

Jasper glanced over to her watching her huddled over whimpering. It seemed as though she had finally come back into touch with reality. She let the vodka bottle slip between her hands, shattering onto the wood floor beneath her.

" _Oh what have I done?"_ she sobbed as she fell back onto the bed.

Jasper steadily picked himself up from the couch and approached the bed. He propped himself up against the headboard, relieving some pressure off his ribs.

He let her cry for a while as he gazed out the window. He could see several humongous HD screens attached to buildings across the city that lit up the breaking news. The news shot between different riots happening across the city and all of England.

He was worried for her. He didn't know how she was going to recover from this.

Eleanor turned to crawl across the bed toward him. She propped a pillow against his side, making him whimper. She had forgotten about his injuries. His shirt was soaked through with sweat, presumably from being in such agony.

He wiped the beads of sweat off his face closing his eyes. She curled up next to him in silence.

James entered the room, honestly shocked that it hadn't been destroyed. Even more surprising was the fact that the Princess had calmed down enough to lie down. Jasper just had that affect on her.

"Shall I call for some clothing.. and your medicine?" James delicately asked.

"Please," Jasper breathed with his chest quickly moving up and down.

* * *

A couple hours later, James returned to the penthouse with more luggage than Jasper thought necessary. Eleanor was passed out against his shoulder slightly snoring.

Jasper had been quietly flipping through his phone looking at social media sites and the news that broadcasted the King's Cup's turmoil.

"I had help packing up both of your belongings.. so long as she may need to stay here," James softly spoke pensively looking at Eleanor.

"I appreciate that Hill," Jasper spoke just over a whisper so as to not wake the Princess.

James gave a nod as he began to back toward the door.

"Hill." Jasper made him turn back around. "Thank you for everything.. you were there for her when I couldn't, and I will be forever grateful for that."

"Of course, Frost. I don't just regard myself as the Princess' security detail. I actually consider her as one of my own.. or one of my best friends as she put it," James replied with a smile.

Jasper smirked and nodded his head.

After James left, Jasper struggled to nudge Eleanor off of him and onto the pillow next to him. Once he finally did so he was able to take his medicine, put on his glasses, and turn off the lights before lying in bed next to her. He stared up at the ceiling restlessly waiting for what tomorrow should hold.


	10. The Secret

Jasper woke up to the sound of the shower running. He leaned over to his right and didn't see Eleanor laying beside him. Slowly emerging from the bed, he made his way through the penthouse. He entered one of the bathrooms larger than his room back at the palace.

Eleanor was in the middle of washing her hair as she paused and smirked at him.

"Hello bodyguard."

"Princess."

"Would you like to join me?"

Jasper didn't know what to expect today from Eleanor. Following the events of yesterday and her erratic behavior, he was essentially prepared for anything.

He removed his shirt wincing as he stretched his arms over his head. This reminded him to go take some of his pain medication before hopping in the shower.

Entering the shower he turned on one of the two shower heads. The warm water falling over his body felt amazing. After traveling across the city to find Eleanor dealing with a fractured rib and being scared half to death, Jasper was nothing short of exhausted.

He felt her approach him from behind and caress his back. Eleanor delicately kissed along the back of his neck to his shoulder giving him shivers.

Then she returned back over to her side of the shower and continued bathing herself. Neither of them said a word, and Jasper didn't want to be the first one to start a conversation.

Showering wasn't easy for him, it was actually one of the hardest things to do with his injury. With his right arm he was able to begin washing his hair.

"Here, let me help," Eleanor softly spoke as she delicately ran a washcloth along his upper body. Continuing to bathe him she placed her bare body up against his back. Her hands lowered down to his erection as she dropped the wash cloth and turned him around.

"I want you to take me in here," she breathed backing him up against the wall.

Jasper stared into her eyes as she placed her lips onto his deeply kissing him. Although he was injured, Eleanor's seduction made his body feel numb. She was a natural pain killer.

The water fell over both of their bodies as he pulled the back of hair back with slight force, making her gasp.

"Turn around," he whispered. She bent over and put her hands on her knees as he took her from behind. Eleanor let out a moan as she bounced up against him. Jasper held a steady pace digging his fingers into her hips as she kept her balance with her hand against the shower door.

He pulled out of her and turned her around. She glanced over at a ledge in the shower and sat on it with her legs open. It was the perfect height for him.

Jasper re-entered her letting out a groan as he sped up the tempo. Eleanor wrapped her legs around his waist feeling every inch of him. She could feel her orgasm approaching but tried to hold it off. She dug her nails into his back as he slipped his hands under her grabbing onto her ass.

Eleanor couldn't hold on much longer as she came around him, shivering over the overwhelming amount of pleasure.

"I want you to come for me again, okay baby?" he growled in her ear. She rolled her eyes back in bliss running her hands through his wet hair.

Soon thereafter he slowed down the pace pushing her body up and down against the wall. She could tell that he was close himself. Eleanor grinded her hips into his holding his torso as close to her as possible. She lost control of her body as she powerfully came once more.

Jasper wasn't able to hold back any longer as he moved in the motion with her and let out a loud moan that echoed throughout the shower.

They both tried to catch their breath as the steam from the shower and their body heat surrounded them. Jasper delicately kissed her on her neck before pulling out of her and resuming under the shower head.

Soon thereafter they both got out and wrapped themselves in bath robes.

"Even with a fractured rib, you can still fuck me like no other," she smirked at him in the bathroom mirror. "Pretty impressive, bodyguard."

"I'm not on duty right now Princess," he held her from behind placing his hand on her stomach and kissed the back of her head.

As Eleanor took out the blow drier and began to dry her hair, Jasper sat back down on the bed. He turned the television on and was greeted with more coverage of the King's Cup.

He was quick to turn it down so Eleanor couldn't hear it in the other room. Ted Pryce had been announced dead. Jasper felt his heart drop, knowing what this would do to Eleanor. He placed his head in both of his hands.

Hearing her approach the room he was quick to turn the television off.

"What were you watching?" she asked briskly.

"Nothing. Was just seeing if the game was on yet," Jasper replied lying back down on the bed. Still wrapped in a robe herself, Eleanor laid cuddling up to his side.

"I don't want to go home Jasper," she whispered looking up at him. "You and I can stay here as long as we want. We can have all of our belongings moved in."

"As nice as that sounds, it's not very realistic Len. You won't be able to hide from your problems forever." Jasper instantly regretted being so upfront as a scowl went across her face.

"Actually, I can hide from whoever and whatever I want whenever and however long I want. I'm the Princess," she snapped sitting up peering down at him.

"Exactly.. you're the Princess. You can't just disappear. And you're going to have to talk to Liam at some point. He's your brother. You're going to have to find it in your heart to forgive him sometime."

Eleanor still wreaked of vodka which Jasper hadn't noticed in the shower.

"I'm not going back," she sharply replied standing up. She paced over to the large window, gazing over the city of London.

"What I would do," she continued, "to just be one of the people. To not constantly be haunted by a bunch of criminals.. and murderers." Her voice trailed off as she spoke.

Jasper didn't say a word.

Eleanor began to look through the luggage that James had brought them. The first thing lying on top of the clothing was a brand new iPhone. She rolled her eyes turning it on.

She tossed it to the side as she chose a black tank top with a rose on it and ripped black jeans. While she was getting dressed the new phone, that had already been programmed to her previous settings, would not stop buzzing.

"I'm hungry. Let's go get breakfast," Eleanor demanded. She tossed some fresh clothing toward Jasper and didn't take the time to look at her phone.

They ate at an indoor cafe downstairs. Eleanor wore big black sunglasses and a beige fedora in an attempt to not be noticed.

Without thinking twice Eleanor ordered a bloody mary. When Jasper raised an eyebrow at her she sighed.

"Just a little hair of the dog." She crossed her arms leaning back further in her seat. "Don't worry, it's _one_ drink. You have no idea how hung over I am."

"I could only imagine." Jasper pensively stared through her. She hated when he looked at her like that.

After the stack of pancakes and waffles with a side of fruit arrived, Eleanor eagerly dug in. Jasper served himself. He watched her closely as she scooped up a syrup soaked bite. He knew she was going to find out about Pryce sooner than later, and the idea made him lose his appetite.

He couldn't help but look around at the civilians calmly reading the newspaper, with Pryce's picture plastered on the front page. Quite frankly, he was shocked she hadn't noticed it herself yet.

"Not hungry bodyguard?.. _Seriously_ , can you drop the glare already?"

As Eleanor spoke, someone across the cafe turned the volume on a television up. She instantly looked over at the breaking news. There was footage of her father being stabbed from the King's Cup, and then it transitioned to a picture of Pryce. The news banner read: " _Former Head of Security Detail Ted Pryce Dead at 48. Trampled by the People of London at King's Cup in Response to King Simon's Murder_."

Jasper winced as he looked back over to Eleanor. She instantly dropped her fork and looked down in her lap. She pushed her sunglasses as far up her nose as she could and tossed her hair around her shoulder. Her chest was heaving up and down as she burst up from her seat.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Her voice was horse as she bolted to the nearest bathroom as people turned to look at her.

* * *

Jasper held her as they walked back up to their room. For once she didn't say anything, she wasn't crying, and her behavior was calm. This concerned him more than anything.

He helped Eleanor sit on the edge of the bed with her sunglasses still on.

"So it's true," she softly spoke with a scratchy voice. He rubbed her shoulders trying to be supportive. "I'm a murderer."

"Eleanor, please, you are not-"

"Oh just _shut up!"_ she screamed startling him. "I just want to be alone."

"Look at me," Jasper delicately took her glasses off. "I've said it twice before and I'll say it a hundred times more. I will _never_ give up on you. I'm not leaving you."

A few hour later Jasper laid in bed while Eleanor took a nap next to him. She hadn't said much else after returning to the room except for that she wanted to sleep. He watched TV at a low volume and would occasionally glance at her, pushing some hair behind her ear.

Since he hadn't eaten breakfast his stomach started to growl. After looking at her once more, he decided to slowly get out bed and put his shirt back on. He took the elevator downstairs and headed to the snack shop.

Returning to the room, Eleanor sat up in bed still covered in sheets. Her hair was messy and she looked absolutely livid. Taking a bite of his pastry Jasper approached her.

"What is it?" he finally asked after a moment of silence. The tension in the room was undeniable.

"Do you have something that you would like to tell me?" she hissed through her teeth raising his cell phone in her hand.

He instinctively patted the pocket in his jeans realizing it must have slipped out onto the bed.

"Well? Go on then.." Eleanor cocked her head to the side.

"I don't really know what-"

"Jasper," she started reading from his phone. "I've been worried about you. I heard about your injuries and haven't seen you around. But we really need to speak."

Eleanor continued reading another text. "I didn't have the courage to tell you at the King's engagement party. I am pregnant and I'm almost positive it is yours. I'm sorry to drop this bombshell on you through text but you haven't been returning any of my calls. Please call me soon - _Brittany."_

Eleanor dropped the phone slowly emerging from the bed and getting in Jasper's face.

"Just a friend, huh?" she spoke at almost a whisper. "Just a friend?!" she then shouted shoving him backward until his back hit the wall.

"Fucking calm down," Jasper growled grabbing his side.

"Don't tell me to calm down," she pointed her finger in his face. "You knocked the bitch up! Where did you find the time to fit in your agenda to sleep with this one as well?"

"It's not possible," Jasper spoke calmly putting his hands up in defense. "I slept with her one time.. but it was when I first started working at the palace almost a year ago." He stopped talking as he rubbed his hands over his face. "When I saw her at Cyrus' event, she clearly wasn't pregnant. She's lying Eleanor."

"Why would a woman lie about being bloody _pregnant_? You think that I should believe you with your track record? You disgust me."

Jasper stood before her with his eyes wide open. He was speechless.

"Get out!" she shouted as the tears streamed down her face.

"Len, I'm not-"

"Get out," she spoke beginning to sound more composed. "Before I call the goddamn police."

Jasper dropped his eyesight toward the floor as he walked to his luggage. Eleanor closely watched him with her eyes narrowed and her arms folded. He packed up his last few belongings and began rolling the luggage toward the door.

"Please," he whispered. "You can be mad at me, you can hate me.. but please just be safe."

Her expression was impassive.

"Don't forget this." Eleanor threw his cell phone with force toward his face but he was able to catch it.

And with that, he showed himself out of the room.

* * *

It was 10:07. Eleanor had been drinking for most of the night after Jasper left. She had avoided most of the texts on her phone from her brother, her mother, Jasper.. pretty much everybody. The only person she kept in contact with was James. As her self-proclaimed "best friend" she knew she could always talk to him. She had reassured him that she was safe, and that she just needed at least one more night alone to herself in the hotel.

Eleanor found herself gazing at the spacious view once again with the lights brightening up the city. With a vodka bottle dangling from her fingers, she took a swig. Every single person in her life that she trusted let her down at some point or another. Her mother was the most selfish woman she had ever met and probably wasn't _truly_ concerned about her whereabouts. Her brother left her to fend for herself and make the ultimate decision of essentially ending someone's life on her own. And Jasper.. _Jasper._ If what Brittany claimed to be true, Eleanor would likely never speak to him again.

She rubbed her eyes before placing her head on her hand. She was aware that she had officially reached rock bottom. There was no one on the planet that she would ever fully trust, no one truly cared about her, and this toxic bottle of vodka which almost killed her weeks ago was her only source of dependability.

Not wanting to sit around and sulk any further, Eleanor straightened her posture and stood up from her chair. She was going to go have a night out on the town and focus on herself. No one else.

After taking a shower to freshen up, she put on a skin tight black dress that she thought showed off her chest well. She applied her signature heavy eye shadow and eyeliner. Lastly putting on some red pumps and a long beaded necklace, she grabbed her purse before tossing her phone in it.

Eleanor knew of a club within walking distance. She ignored the people on the street who shouted her name and the occasional flash of a camera from the paparazzi. Before entering the club she glanced at her phone once more and turned it off. She felt free for the first time in weeks.

The music was thumping and she could feel the bass in her chest. Lights were flashing everywhere and everyone around her was smiling. Eleanor began to dance her way through the crowd. No one bothered her, or stared her down. She felt like one of the people which she craved ever so badly.

Approaching the bar she ordered two shots of vodka. She swayed her hips to the music waiting for the bartender to fix her drinks. A tall, handsome man with dark skin and light green eyes approached the bar next to her.

Eleanor made slight eye contact as he casually nodded his head at her. She gave a light smile and looked back toward the bar.

"What're you drinking?" the man asked striking up a conversation.

"Oh, just a little Grey Goose," she felt her cheeks redden as the bartender handed her both shots.

"Where's your friend at?"

Eleanor didn't reply and shrugged her shoulders still smiling.

"Rough night then?" he chuckled looking at both shots. He walked closer to her. "My name is Thomas." He extended his hand as she placed hers in his and shook it.

"Len."

"Pleasure to meet you. I'll take a shot of Jameson please," Thomas instructed the bartender. "So Len, what brings you out to this side of town?"

"Just having a night to myself I guess," she replied as he took back his shot. "And you?"

"It's my friend's birthday." He pointed to a group of guys who looked straight out of a fraternity. They were encouraging one of them to shot gun a beer.

"I feel strange for asking, but do you happen to be holding?" Eleanor asked as the music boomed over her voice.

"Holding what exactly?"

"Ecstasy or molly preferably."

"Just a minute," Thomas threw down a few bucks on the bar and went to his group of buddies.

Shortly thereafter he returned to her side with a tiny baggy. He quickly placed it in her hand so no one around them saw.

"Thank you," Eleanor instantly threw it in her purse and reached for her wallet.

"It's okay," Thomas spoke rejecting her money. "This one is on me. To nights to ourselves," he smirked before taking her second shot of Grey Goose. He nodded at her and walked back toward his group. Eleanor felt a stupid smile still present on her face. After a moment she walked toward the bathroom.

After entering a stall she eagerly reached for the baggy in her purse. She stared at both of the pills before quickly opening the pouch and popping them in her mouth.

Returning to the main stage area, Eleanor was filled with euphoria. She didn't know if it was the ecstasy kicking in, or if it was just the fact that she was finally doing something she loved to do without a care in the world for once. The night was just about her.

She danced the night away moving to the sound of the music and hypnotized by the lights. After going back to the bar for another shot she led her way to Thomas' group of friends.

A few of them clearly recognized who she was and seemed somewhat intimidated.

"Hey! Guys, this is Len," Thomas introduced her. She gave an awkward smile.

"No way! Let's fuckin' party with the princess!" a visibly wasted guy shouted.

"Don't mind him." Thomas looked slightly embarrassed as he neared closer to her. "So? What're the results?"

"I feel the best I have in months," Eleanor grinned.

"I knew it was a good batch," he look relieved.

"I love this song! Let's go dance," Eleanor hopped up and down as she grabbed his hand and led him out to the dance floor. Without hesitation she began to seductively grind up against him. He was an excellent dancer and she didn't mind the fact that he didn't judge her either.

As the tempo of the music began to slow down, Thomas put his hands on her hips and swayed with her. She turned to face him and put her arms around his neck. They began kissing in the middle of the dance floor ignoring all of their surroundings.

Eleanor tried her absolute best to focus on Thomas in this moment but it was impossible. All she could think about was Jasper. _Fucking Jasper._ She couldn't fight back the mental images of him having sex with Brittany. Was it the same way he fucked her? With so much passion and borderline aggression? When was the last time it happened? Did he tell Brittany he loved her too?

She was so frustrated and consumed with anxiety that it was physically apparent to Thomas. He stopped kissing her and peered into her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I um- I don't know. I'm just not really feeling the best all of the sudden."

He led her out of the crowd and they walked outside of the club. Lighting a cigarette she awkwardly avoided eye contact with him.

"Can I hail you a cab or something?" Thomas asked standing in front of her.

"No, thank you. I'm within walking distance of my hotel. Here, let me take your number down though."

Eleanor fumbled through her purse and turned on her iPhone. Texts and voicemails flooded her screen as she uncomfortably bit her lip in embarrassment.

After taking down his number she noticed that she had received a text from an unknown number about an hour ago.

The cigarette fell from her fingers as she read the text.

 _Hello, Princess. You may have won this round but the war is far from over. We have your brother. If you know what is best for Prince Liam, you will meet us at 10 A.M. sharp tomorrow morning in the Regent's Park. We can't wait to see you. -Domino_


	11. Domino

**Hey guys! Please don't forget to comment and leave feedback. I love hearing all of your ideas and critiques. Also helps keep my confidence up to keep writing. ;] Happy reading!**

* * *

"James," Eleanor tried to catch her breath as she raced back to the hotel in her pumps. "I need you to come pick me up. Liam is in trouble. Do not say anything to anyone until I tell you otherwise."

"Yes your highness, I'm on my way."

Getting back to the penthouse, Eleanor frantically threw her belongings back into her suitcase and anxiously waited for her security detail to arrive.

There wasn't a bone in her body that wanted to return to the palace, however she would do absolutely anything for her twin. He was in danger.

James knocked on the door as Eleanor involuntarily lunged at him and hung her arms around his shoulders. He held his embrace soothingly patting her back.

"There, there Princess. Everything is going to be okay. Can you tell me what's going on?"

She silently handed her cell phone to him as he read the text from the unknown number.

"I see," he calmly spoke returning the phone back to her. "I will come with you. You are not doing this alone."

Returning to the palace Eleanor was greeted by her mother and her Uncle Cyrus. She could tell that there was some tension between the two of them.

"Darling, you have had me worried sick. James told me of your whereabouts.. but who _knows_ what you must have been doing the past few days," Helena spoke putting her hand on her hip.

Eleanor rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Well, here I am. I gotta go," she tried to push by them as Cyrus backed her up with his hand on her shoulder.

"Not so fast Princess. With the given scenario of Ted Pryce and the state of emergency that our country is in, we need to stay together. I must keep a close eye on you. You leave and you go when I say you can," Cyrus threatened. "Now go find your brother and tell him the same."

Eleanor didn't respond as she grabbed her luggage and pushed through them up to her room.

She couldn't sleep that night. No matter how many sleeping pills she took her eyes remained wide open staring at the ceiling. Who was going to be waiting for her at the park tomorrow? What does the 'Domino' group exactly consist of? Is Liam hurt? To top it all off, the fact that Jasper was down stairs just below her made her insides turn.

* * *

Eleanor's alarm clock woke up her up the following morning. She jolted up in her bed feeling as though she had been hit by a bus. The combination of an ecstasy come down, lack of sleep, and the threat of her brother's overall well being wasn't ideal.

Before hopping into the shower, she glanced at the clock telling her she had exactly 2 hours before she had to be at the park. She purposely underdressed with a big grey sweatshirt and a blue baseball cap.

Emerging from her room, she peaked up and down the halls. She didn't hear her mother, or Cyrus, or anyone of importance. She did however make eye contact with James who was waiting outside of her room.

He gave her a silent nod and quietly led the both of them out to a car that was waiting for them.

"Where to your highness?" the driver asked.

"Um- Regal Central Park please," Eleanor's voice squeaked. She was absolutely terrified. She fought off the craving to drink as she knew that would be a terrible idea. Eleanor needed to be prepared for anything and on her toes at all times today.

There was a deafening silence in the car ride as she picked at her fingernails and read from her cell phone. The last text that she had received from Liam was last night at 6:07 P.M.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she read it.

" _I know I screwed up, Len. I can't chase you forever. But just know that I love you more than anyone on the planet. I would die for you! Please come home."_

They approached the vast park which was filled with vibrant green trees and fields that looked like they went on for miles.

"I'll be right here in the car. You text me, and I will be there in one second. I will be watching you with binoculars as well just in case. Good luck, Princess."

"Eleanor," she corrected him trying her best to give James a smile.

She exited the limousine instantly putting her hoodie over her head. It was a brisk morning and the trees were blowing in the wind.

"I'm here," Eleanor texted the number.

"The bench by the pond."

Looking around the massive park, she was able to spot the glimmer of water in the distance. She made her way to the pond consciously knowing that her security detail was closely following and watching her.

Eleanor approached one single man sitting on a bench from behind. She hesitatingly stood next to him as she observed his appearance.

"Good morning, Princess." He had blue eyes, short brown hair, a goatee, and a look of vengeance in his gaze. She didn't recognize the man whatsoever.

"Where's my brother?" Eleanor asked as she hugged her body from a cold blast of wind. "What do you want?"

"Have a seat," he patted the spot next to him. She apprehensively sat down next to him completely avoiding eye contact.

"Ever heard of a woman named Dominique? She was my older sister. I called her Domino when we were young.. I actually named my daughter after her."

"Yes.. I believe I know of the name," Eleanor glanced over to him after a long pause.

"Your grandmother ruthlessly murdered her," the unidentified man spoke through clenched teeth. She could sense a shakiness in his voice.

"Right. And _your_ family murdered at least a couple of my kin as well.. I believe it was my older brother, and most recently my father, the _King_ of England. What is it that you want?" Adrenaline pumped throughout Eleanor's body.

"You sure are a daring one, Princess, aren't you? You've got quite the mouth on you."

" _Where_ is Liam?"

"He's safe, for now."

"What is it that you want from me? Money? You already had your revenge. My father was a great man-"

"Ah, ah.. not so fast. Ted Pryce was the one who killed your father. But the idiot didn't follow through with the plan."

Eleanor felt anger burning inside of her. Quite frankly, she wanted to slap him as hard as she could but she refrained.

"What _plan_ exactly?" she gritted her teeth pushing a piece of hair out of her eyes.

"To take down your whole family; one by one. And to the best of my knowledge, your dearest twin is next on the list."

Eleanor felt the color wash from her face.

"Liam never did anything to you, he's innocent. You _told_ me you would let him go if I came this morning." She yelled abruptly standing up.

"Actually, I said that it would be best for the Prince's wellbeing if you should show up. You have simply given him a few more hours to remain alive." The man gave an evil chuckle as he stood up next to her.

"I wanted to give you a fair warning, Princess. Once we are through with your twin, _you're next._ And then onto that bitch of a mother of yours, or Queen as she calls herself. You can transfer the message back to your embarrassment of a family. _"_

Eleanor backed away from him. She frantically reached for her phone out of her pocket attempting to dial James' number. The man slapped the phone out her hands and held her by the throat.

"We're not done here yet, your highness.." He backed her toward a tree as she gasped for air. She felt the blood rush to her head as he got closer to her face.

Within a matter of seconds the screeching sound of a car approached them. The anonymous man instantly sprinted back toward his own car.

Jasper busted out of a limousine behind them shooting at his car as he drove away. Eleanor stood in shock watching the action unfold in front of her.

"Get in the car, now!" James shouted emerging from another limo himself, ushering the Princess into the car. After she was safe in the car, James joined fire with his colleague.

The opponent drove away with a shattered windshield and quite a few bullet holes lodged in his car. James stopped shooting and slowly put his gun back in the holster. Jasper still had his gun drawn.

" _Honestly,_ what the fuck?" Eleanor scolded Jasper as she wound the window down. Seeing that the unknown convict had left she threw the door open and strutted toward him. "Would you _please_ stop following me already? I believe that James could have easily handled this on his own."

He made a side glance at her before she shoved him with all of her power. Her full strength only made him slightly budge a few inches to his side.

"Be a good Princess and get back in the car," Jasper demanded under his breath without looking at her. His view was still focused on to the suspect's car in the distance. Eleanor gave a long glare before flipping her hair and walking back toward the limo.

* * *

"Liam and I spoke of a girl named Domino," Jasper uttered as he scrolled through several profiles on a computer screen. "She was around our age. She _has_ to be this man's daughter."

James and Eleanor looked on with anticipation sitting closely behind him. The three of them were safely located in the now familiar security room located in the tunnels of the palace.

"There." Jasper eventually pulled up a profile of an attractive young blonde with emerald eyes similar to Eleanor's. Her address and a full list of information on Dominique was displayed next to her picture.

"Are you _sure_ this is the girl Liam spoke of at our birthday party?" Eleanor asked wheeling the chair closer to the computer.

"That would be my sister," an unfamiliar voice spoke behind them making the Princess instantly spin her chair around.

Brittany stood in the doorway with a man twice the size of James and Jasper combined. The humongous man punched Jasper in the face as he collapsed onto the keyboard.

"I told him we would come for him if he went back to your side," Brittany sighed glancing at Eleanor.

" _Jesus,_ does the kid really deserve to get punched in the face so often?" Eleanor extended her arm toward her former bodyguard.

James slid his hand toward his holster as Eleanor put her hand on his. The last thing she wanted was for James to be harmed in this moment.

"What do you want Brittany?" Eleanor pleaded gazing up at her, still grasping onto James' wrist.

"You know exactly what I want," Brittany hissed. Within a few seconds the large man held a gun straight at the Princess.

Before James had the chance to reach for his gun, an ear deafening fire was shot.

The bulky man collapsed onto Eleanor's lap. She screamed, shoving his lifeless body to the ground. Eleanor looked up unexpectedly meeting her uncle's gaze with a gun in his hand.

"I _knew_ things were getting all too boring in this palace." Cyrus casually entered the room with at least five bodyguards standing behind him. "If anyone is to kill my niece.. or my nephew.. it will beat _my_ beck and call," he whispered with his teeth pushed together. A slight smile formed on his face.

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"I thought I told you not to leave the grounds without my permission, _Princess."_

Eleanor glanced at her security detail. James was just as dumbfounded as she was herself. She could say many things about her uncle.. but nonetheless he never ceased to amaze her.

"Why does the cute body guard always have to get hurt?" Cyrus nudged Jasper's body with his hand as he let out a grunt. Cyrus approached Brittany as though she was a piece of meat in his lion's den.

"Now as for you, you dirty _bitch,"_ he seethed placing his index finger on his lower lip. His bodyguards proceeded to pull her up by the back of her arms."Take her away boys."

The security removed the dead body and took Brittany who was belligerently thrashing back and forth in her handcuffs out of the room.

Jasper finally raised his head placing his hand on his cheek with an extremely confused look on his face.

Cyrus straightened his jacket. "Now then. Where shall we retrieve my little brat of a nephew?"

* * *

"Honestly, this is _insane_ ," Eleanor strutted in her room with James close behind. "How and the hell am I supposed to trust my maniac of an uncle? We can't work with him."

"Eleanor if I may disagree, perhaps his majesty has true intentions for once. From what we just saw I'm quite confident that he is not working with Domino. He is probably our greatest chance at finding your brother."

 _How much does Cyrus even know about Domino? How did he know Liam was missing?_

Whatever it was, time was running out and she did have to agree with James. Maybe Cyrus actually did have a heart.

With impeccable timing as always, Jasper wandered into her room looking at the both of them.

"Hill, may I speak to the Princess in private for a moment?"

"Okay Frost. But we must move as soon as possible now that we have the details to Dominique's whereabouts." James showed himself out of the room.

"Do you believe me _now?_ " Jasper held an icepack in his hand walking toward her. "When I got back to the palace last night Brittany was waiting for me in my room. She threatened that if I were to go around you or help find Liam, she would have me killed. There are people in this palace working for Domino. We have to be on high alert Len. Brittany was simply blackmailing me and tried to get between us.. because she knows I would do absolutely anything to keep you out of harm's way."

"Ah.. a crazy ex-hookup, that's always fun. Oh, and it feels pretty good to be blackmailed doesn't it?"

Jasper ignored her comment. "But I could never, ever stay away from you. No matter how crazy you are," he smirked as she crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side.

"You sure are ballsy, bodyguard.. and a little crazy yourself." Eleanor casually walked before him and took the icepack out of his hand, placing it on his cheek.

"Only for you, my Princess." She stared into his intense blue eyes. Jasper simply made her knees weak.

"I.. I'm sorry that I didn't trust you," Eleanor painfully tried to spit out. "I don't know what I would have done if-"

Jasper placed his hand over the icepack and threw it on the table next to them. He assertively grabbed onto her hips bringing her up against his body. Tilting her head back he slowly kissed her giving her instant butterflies in her stomach.

"You know, if my brother wasn't in dire danger right now I wouldn't mind ripping your clothes off right here, right now," Eleanor whispered against his lips. His eyes lit up with excitement as he grabbed onto a portion of her hair and deepened the kiss.

"Ahem," James cleared his throat re-entering her room.

" _Jesus_ James how long have you been standing there?!" Eleanor hissed, still held tight up against Jasper's body. She looked up at Jasper's face seeing him blush for the first time.

"Please forgive me your highness." James couldn't hold back an awkward smile who was also blushing himself. "But his majesty is calling for you. The cars are ready."

Jasper looked down at Eleanor, still wrapped in his embrace. He gave her a soft peck on the lips.

"Let's go get Liam."


	12. Man Down

**A/N: Howdy y'all! Get prepared for quite the wild ride this chapter.. my imagination kind of went off on this one. :p I'm excited to see what you all think. 3**

* * *

"Take us to 676 Frognal Way," Cyrus instructed the driver. He didn't peer down from his cell phone which lit up his face.

Eleanor and Jasper sat next to each other on the lengthy seat while James sat across from Cyrus. None of them said a word as the limousine set into motion. Jasper's hand was dangerously close to Eleanor's as she involuntarily twitched it away. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and then presumed his gaze outside the window in front of them.

Eleanor could feel her anxiety peaking while her Uncle Cyrus looked cool as a cucumber casually scrolling through his phone.

"So.. do we have a _plan_?" she finally spoke up.

"Look behind us, dear niece." Cyrus pointed behind him outside the window. The three of them peered outside seeing at least another four limousines and police cars closely following behind.

"We simply break the door down, have our guns drawn, and will shoot the place up if they don't tell us where your bugger of a brother is." He shrugged his shoulders.

Eleanor's eyes widened looking back toward Jasper.

"But your majesty, Dominique is innocent. Liam had spoken to her before the King's Cup. She was on our side.. she gave him information and-"

"No one of that retched family is innocent, you handsome devil." Cyrus winked at Jasper making Eleanor blush and put her head in her hands.

"Uncle Cyrus we can't just go shoot the goddamn place up, what if Liam gets hurt?" Eleanor spoke through her hands staring at the ground.

She could hear the clinking of bottles. She looked up to see Cyrus pouring himself a hefty glass of bourbon for himself. What she would _do_ to have a glass as well. Eleanor could feel both James and Jasper's gaze burning through her.

"How close are we? I want to get out of this god forsaken car already," Eleanor snapped.

"There, there Princess. Relax and maybe have a drink," her uncle replied gesturing his towards her. She glared at him. "Oh I'm quite sorry, that was rather mindless of me. I don't want you to go off the deep end again."

Jasper clenched his jaw tightening his fists.

They finally approached a rather large mansion with white paint on the exterior.

"Well, let's go then," Cyrus smirked patting Eleanor on the thigh. She rolled her eyes and followed him out of the car. Jasper was inches behind her and James followed close behind.

As Cyrus approached the other security detail and law enforcement, Jasper grabbed Eleanor by the arm and pulled her aside. James joined them.

"There's a slight chance that Cyrus may be too confident," he started. Eleanor snorted. "We need to look out for each other. Len you stay behind Hill and me at _all_ times. We will let Cyrus and his backup investigate the house and let them deal with whatever may take place. But our solo mission is to find Liam in that house and get him out safely."

James nodded in agreement as both body guards reached inside their jackets and checked their holsters. She could see that both of them were carrying at least two guns on them. Although there were a number of agents and deputies behind her, Eleanor felt safest with Jasper and James.

Following the lead of about ten officers trailed by approximately twenty bodyguards, Cyrus slowly approached the house. From there James, Jasper, and Eleanor entered the mansion after them.

The inside was lavishly decorated with chandeliers, flowers, and a beautiful staircase that circled around the sides of the living room. The crew walked extremely delicately with their guns drawn. The silence in the house was eerie.

What sounded like a cabinet suddenly closing in one of the rooms made everyone slightly jump. Eleanor instinctively grabbed onto Jasper's arm. Aside from the fear that she felt, she couldn't fight back a smile watching Cyrus do the exact same thing to one of his security detail.

The team separated, dispersing into different rooms. Jasper took Eleanor's hand and lead her to the staircase.

"Hill, you storm the front. I'll follow," he instructed.

James slowly walked up the steps holding his pistol in an upright position. Entering one of the first rooms, he drew his weapon instantaneously. No one was in there. He gestured for them to follow.

They switched off from there, Jasper in the next room as James stayed by Eleanor. No one seemed to be upstairs.

Suddenly, the sound of a rampage broke out downstairs beneath them. It sounded like there was a struggle. Most prominent was the scream of a young girl's voice. Presumably Dominique, Eleanor prayed that no one would harm her.

"I didn't do anything! I don't know what you're talking about!" she screamed.

Jasper and James froze as they thought of their next move. James soon thereafter led them back downstairs with Jasper grabbing back onto Eleanor's hand. Still with his gun drawn, James ran away from the sound of the chaos taking place in one of the other rooms.

There looked to be a basement, or some sort of door that lead to an underground area. James promptly opened it and saw a staircase. After giving a look to Jasper he descended into the basement.

"Stay close behind me," Jasper whispered as they followed behind. Eleanor could feel her heart in her throat and felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Liam?" Jasper shouted in the dim area. He took out a flashlight that had stashed in his jacket. There was no response.

"I think I hear something," James whispered as he also took out his flashlight and vigorously flashed it around.

There was a slight sound of a groan and a whimper.

"Liam?! Are you there?" Eleanor yelled, feeling pellets of sweat form on her forehead.

She nearly fainted when Jasper's flashlight illuminated her brother, tied up against a pole, looking almost lifeless. He was bruised and bloodied up. Eleanor lunged toward him and cupped his face in her hands.

"Oh my God- Liam!" tears streamed down her face.

"Eleanor, get back _behind_ me," Jasper demanded, slowly approaching the both of them.

"No!" she shouted. "He's hurt! We need to help him.. We need to-"

"Beh- Behind y-you," Liam stuttered with exasperation.

Eleanor screamed as James' flashlight illuminated a man standing directly behind them. It was _the_ man. He pointed a gun at Liam with a snicker on his face.

"Well, well.. very impressive," the man spoke. "You found him. But I believe his time is officially up."

"No!" Eleanor screamed as Jasper grabbed and held her back with all of his might.

Everything went in slow motion as the man pulled the trigger. Without hesitation, James lunged in front of the bullet, quickly falling to the ground.

Letting go of Eleanor, Jasper promptly drew his pistol and shot the man several times.

"James! Oh _no!"_ Eleanor sobbed dropping to the ground next to him. She took his flashlight and lit up his chest area seeing an entry wound. Blood flooded around him as he gasped for air. Droplets of blood fell from his lips.

"Jasper, _do something_!" she shrieked looking up to him. Jasper stared looking absolutely stunned. After a moment he bolted up the stairs and alerted the rest of the team. Seconds later, several police men stormed the basement picking James up and bringing him back up the stairs. The bodyguards then untied Liam and picked up his listless body.

* * *

Eleanor followed closely behind the staff of the hospital wheeling James' body through the emergency room. He was not responsive but still breathing.

The staff approached the surgery room, politely notifying the Princess that she would have to wait outside.

"I can't leave his side," Eleanor cried with her voice hoarse. "He never left mine.."

One of the doctors gave a solemn nod as he slowly closed the door.

She collapsed up against the door sliding down it with her head in her hands. Eleanor's chest heaved up and down. She couldn't catch her breath. She was hyperventilating and the room was spinning.

Jasper crouched down next to her and kissed the top of her forehead. She looked up to meet his gaze. He too had tears flooded down his face.

"I should have acted quicker," he whimpered wiping a tear away.

"It's not your fault," she whispered wiping another one of his tears away. They embraced each other for a while as several nurses and staff passed by them.

Hours passed. They never left the waiting room. After a solid hour or so of crying off and on, Jasper and Eleanor were equally too drained to express any further emotion. She leaned her head on his shoulder, trying to close her eyes. He held her hand, fingers laced, lightly tracing it with his thumb.

Jasper watched one of the doctors approach them. He quickly stood up with Eleanor shortly thereafter.

"Mr. Hill is in surgery at the moment," he spoke with a somber look on his face. "The bullet impacted his chest cavity and penetrated his left lung. However, we have been able to remove the bullet and repair his lung to the best of our ability. If Mr. Hill responds to treatment well there is a strong chance for recovery. All we can do is pray for him and hope for the best from here. He is in good hands I can assure you."

"Thank you doctor," Jasper spoke with a raspy voice looking over to Eleanor. She was emotionless.

"I suggest the both of you get back to the palace and get some rest. We will call you if there are any signs of improvement.. or heaven forbid the opposite."

Jasper called themselves a car. By the time the limo arrived Eleanor was passed out on his lap. Without wanting to disturb her, he picked her up with ease by her legs and shoulders and carried her out to the car.

Returning to the palace, Eleanor woke up feeling extremely groggy. "Is there any update on Liam?" she asked yawning. She had fallen asleep shortly after the doctor updated them on James.

"He's still improving by the minute. Being treated for extreme dehydration with a few cuts and bruises but he will be fine.. I promise." Jasper gave his best attempt at a comforting smile, but he knew he wasn't very good at it.

He escorted her to her room and delicately kissed her on the cheek before backing away.

"Please, don't leave. Just stay with me for tonight. I.. I really need you." Eleanor grabbed onto one of his hands looking up at him with mascara stained eyes.

"Of course Len."

Slipping into an oversized white t-shirt, Eleanor laid down on her bed covering herself with blankets. Jasper took all of his clothes off except for his boxer briefs and snuggled up behind her. She scooted her bottom up against him so they were perfectly spooning. Inhaling in her scent intoxicated him.

He kissed the back of her neck and placed his hand on her waist. "I love you Eleanor. Everything is going to be okay."

"Mhmm," she mumbled. "I love you Jasper."

He lightly smiled and closed his eyes, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Get up you two!" Helena shouted bursting through Eleanor's bedroom doors. She strutted in with an irritated expression on her face.

Eleanor swiftly sat up in her bed as Jasper rolled on his back covering his eyes from the sun. Not wanting the Queen to see him lying there in his underwear, he quickly pulled the covers up to his neck.

"How _could_ you not tell me about Liam's situation yesterday? And you have the nerve to inform _Cyrus?!"_ Helena was almost yelling at her.

"Mum- he's okay," Eleanor yawned rubbing her eyes. "Liam was just a little beat up that's all. And besides, I didn't necessarily tell Cyrus, he just kind of showed up.."

" _Bullshit,_ " Helena hissed. "Cyrus never just shows up. He always has a plan."

Eleanor glanced down at Jasper next to her who looked borderline terrified. She was pretty sure he was trying to pretend that he was invisible. It made her smirk.

"Look mother, whatever is going on between you and Cyrus- he had the best intentions. Liam is safe now, and on the contrary my security detail is severely wounded because he bloody sacrificed his life for him. We will be leaving to the hospital soon to go be by his side. You can join us if you would like, but I am _not_ going to put up with your shit today," Eleanor snapped.

Jasper scrambled turning on his side as he pulled the covers higher above his chin. He absolutely did _not_ want to be in the room at this very moment.

"That's our security's job, Eleanor. Send Mr. Hill my best wishes. This conversation is not over," Helena peered into her daughter's eyes before turning around and slamming the door behind her.

"Goddamn she is _such_ a bitch!" Eleanor seethed, looking over at Jasper who at this point was pretty much all of the way under the sheets. " _Oh,_ stop being such a pussy. Let's get up."

Jasper and Eleanor walked hand in hand down the white, grim halls of the hospital. Jasper ditched his regular uniform for the day wearing black pants and a light blue t-shirt. Eleanor also ditched her regular uniform, dressed in a purple t-shirt, grey leggings, black booties, and a ponytail.

"You look extremely sexy with your hair up, it's a little distracting," Jasper spoke under his breath.

"Oh _shut up_ ," Eleanor smirked, slightly nudging him to the side with her hip. "I see your ribs have been feeling better."

"Yeah, but I think that I have had a few more important things to worry about recently."

"True.."

They both approached Liam's door. Eleanor led the way walking into the room first. Surprisingly, Liam was sitting upright in his bed looking as good as new. He was eating some sort of unidentifiable hospital food and watching the TV.

" _Liam_ ," Eleanor gasped instinctively running to his side. She threw her arms around his shoulders and squeezed him tight.

"I'm so happy to see you," he replied. Letting go, she saw that he had a huge grin on his face. "Did I really get my head hit _that_ hard, or are you seriously wearing purple.. and a ponytail?"

Eleanor gave the biggest eye roll possible and crossed her arms. "No, but I can knock you over the head harder if you wish."

She felt Jasper's hand on her side as he walked up next to Liam as well.

"It's good to have you back," he spoke shaking his hand. Liam gave him a smile.

"How's James doing?"

"He's stable," Eleanor started. "But he was hit in the chest and a lung was punctured." She felt her heart ache as she spoke of it. Jasper rubbed her back, sensing her pain.

"I will forever be grateful for James. What he did was nothing short of heroic. You guys should go visit him. Doctors say I will be released later this afternoon. I just need a bit more fluids." Liam looked down at the IV in his arm.

"Okay, we will speak further later. See you back at home. I love you," Eleanor beamed at him patting his hair before turning around.

Approaching James' room, Eleanor stopped dead in her tracks. Panic hit as she grew extremely dizzy.

"I don't know if I can do this," she grabbed onto Jasper's hand who helped her sit down on a chair.

"We can wait as long as you need," he soothingly spoke rubbing the back of her neck.

"I couldn't imagine what I would do if I lost him."

"You're not going to lose him. He's a fighter."

After a few minutes Eleanor built up the strength to enter the room. They were both greeted by a younger woman, probably around the age of 30, and a girl presumably 7 or 8 years old. Eleanor quickly realized that the young child was his daughter.. or technically his brother's daughter who James took in as his own when he passed in an accident.

James lied in the hospital bed asleep with an endotracheal tube in his mouth helping him breathe. There was a large bandage wrapped around his chest. He looked peaceful.

Eleanor instinctively placed both of her hands over her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked back over to his daughter. She was speechless. Jasper took the lead.

"Hi, I'm Jasper," he spoke above a whisper as he squatted in front of the girl. He had a friendly smile on his face as he extended his hand. The girl shook his hand looking at him tentatively. She had platinum blonde hair and big green eyes.

"This is Nina," the young woman spoke holding onto the girl's shoulders. "And I'm Jen, James' sister."

"Pleasure to meet you both," Jasper said standing back up. "This is my girlfriend Eleanor."

He put his hand on the small of her back gesturing toward her.

"Are- are you the Princess?" Nina looked up at her with large curious eyes.

"Y-Yes I am," Eleanor smiled as she choked on her words. She was overwhelmed with emotion. All she wanted to do was hug the poor girl and reassure her that everything would be okay. That her dad would not be in pain any longer.. all due to his service and loyalty to the palace.

"My daddy works at your castle," Nina spoke up again inching toward Eleanor. Eleanor felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.

She leaned down next to Nina and put her tiny hands into hers.

"Your daddy doesn't just work at my castle. He's my _best friend_ ," she whispered fighting back tears.

"Really?!" Nina's eyes widened as a smile came across her face. Eleanor looked up at Jen who was covering her mouth with a hand as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Yes. And you can come to my castle _whenever_ you would like. You could see my room, and my horses."

"You have horsies?!" Nina grew even more excited. "I've always wanted a pony!"

Eleanor grinned as she looked over at Jasper who was staring back at her. He was completely infatuated with her. He loved seeing this side of her. The amazing and caring person who she is, underneath all of her demons.

"Is it okay if I go say hi to your daddy for a moment?" Eleanor asked. Nina nodded her head.

Taking Jasper's hand, they both walked over to him. Eleanor knew that she had to look strong for Nina and was able to hold back any more tears. She ran her hand along James' cheek and rubbed it with her thumb.

As if James knew she was in his presence, his eyes slowly opened. He looked up at Eleanor which made her feel warm inside. He was still with her. He was still alive.

"J-James," Eleanor began stuttering still fighting back tears. "I just met your beautiful daughter Nina. And once you get better we are going to take her to see my castle.. and my ponies," she looked over to Nina who was beaming. "Hang in there." She softly placed a peck on his forehead.

Jasper looked down at James with watery eyes. "Hill, you are a hero. It's an honor to have you as a colleague and as a friend. We will be by your side through your whole recovery. Whatever you need."

James gave him a look in the eyes letting Jasper know that he understood.

After sitting and talking with Nina and Jen for a while, Eleanor and Jasper excused themselves. They knew that Liam would be returning home soon. Before they left Eleanor went down to the gift shop. She returned with a stuffed animal of a horse along with a few other toys. Nina embraced the plush and hugged Eleanor.

"Thank you," she squealed instantly sitting down and playing with the other toys.

"We will be speaking with you soon, please call us if you need anything. You have our number," Jasper spoke as he gave Jen a hug goodbye. Eleanor gave them both hugs once more before heading back to the palace.

* * *

Eleanor and Jasper walked into Liam's room who was playing video games on his approximately 150 inch HD TV.

"Clearly you are fully back to normal," Eleanor spoke walking toward his bed and sitting on it.

"Ah! You just made me lose the race!" Liam shouted pausing the game. He tossed the controller to the side turning his chair to his sister. Jasper joined them sitting on a chair adjacent from him.

"What's James' status?"

"He's on a ventilator. It's going to be a long recovery process but I am confident he will make it through," Jasper replied.

"Good."

"I don't really know where to begin by asking you questions, brother." Eleanor stared at her twin.

"Well, then I'll just start talking," he smirked looking back at her.

"The night of King's Cup I felt absolutely horrible for well, letting my emotions get the best of me once again-"

"Yeah, thanks for that again jackass." She chucked one of the pillows off his bed at his face.

"Could you let me finish?" he chuckled shielding the throw. "I was at a bar I had never been to. Quite honestly I don't even know the name of it. After about 5 whiskey shots and 2 pints, this guy with a goatee approached me-"

"Yes. I know of the man," she cut him off.

" _Would_ you let me finish?"

"Sorry."

"He was very friendly at first. Told me his name was Jeff. Tried to talk me up and tell me that I had a great speech at the Cup earlier. After him buying me quite a few more shots, he told me of a party he was headed to. On the way to his car, which happened to be in an alley-"

"Oh that's always a _great_ sign."

"Len," Jasper snapped. She blushed and looked at the ground.

"The minute we approach his car, I'm bagged over the head and knocked out.. presumably punched in the back of the head. The next thing I know I'm tied up in this basement. Jeff confesses everything to me about Domino and their plan. He was going to kill me, but first come to you Len and threaten you as well. He was extremely confident that I would never be found. And quite frankly, so was I."

"What did he do to you while you were down there?" Jasper asked.

"Jeff smacked me around a good amount. Tried to get information out of me about our family. Since I refused, he would turn up the notch on the delivery of pain. Of course no food or water.."

"That's awful," Eleanor sighed.

"How did you guys find me, anyway?"

"Well, Uncle Cyrus was quite involved. He shot a man involved with Domino who was about to shoot me.. that was fun. And then he instructed that he would lead the way in helping find you. It was rather nice to see a different side to him."

Liam cocked his head to the side but nodded his head in amusement.

"And you can thank Jasper for finding out the information to Dominique and her whereabouts."

"You do always save the day, don't you Jasper?" Liam smirked.

"Being an ex-crook does have its benefits. I can find my way around shit pretty easily.."

Eleanor rolled her eyes throwing another pillow his way.

Cyrus slowly entered the room. The three of them fell silent. With his signature casual walk, he strolled into the room with his hands folded.

"Liam, it's good to see your little brat of a face back around the palace."

"Thank you Cyrus." Liam was visibly uncomfortable.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm well, thank you."

There was an awkward silence in the room as they all fixated their eyes on random spots in the room. Shortly thereafter Helena entered the room.

"Oh, Liam. My darling. I'm _so_ glad to have you back," she spoke walking up to him squeezing his face and kissing his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah thanks mom." Liam didn't smile.

"What're _you_ doing here?" Helena scolded looking Cyrus up and down. Cyrus returned her gaze and glared at her. He didn't say a word.

"What on Earth do you mean, what is he doing here?" Eleanor shouted. "He's the very reason both your son and your daughter are alive right now."

Eleanor couldn't believe that she was defending her uncle. But for once in her life, she truly felt bad for him. Maybe his rude and defensive personality was an insecurity. Maybe he really was a good person deep down.

The Queen scowled at her daughter. "This has nothing to do with you Eleanor. You are both _my_ children and should not trust this man."

"We may be your children mum," Eleanor spoke through pressed teeth as she stood up from the bed. "But where were _you_ when I needed you the other day at King's Cup? Where were _you_ when Liam was in the hospital overnight? You're a pathetic excuse for a mother."

Liam's eyebrows raised as he looked over to Jasper. Once again Jasper looked afraid shitless and wished he wasn't in the room. There was something intimidating about watching the two powerful women go at it.

"If I may add," Cyrus peacefully interjected. "The Queen had my son and wife taken away from me. Prudence and my son are GONE!" he suddenly shouted making all of them jolt.

"You did _what_ mum?" Liam asked, dumbstruck.

"That woman never loved you. And that son of yours is much better off without ever knowing who his dismal excuse for a father is," Helena strutted toward him.

"Or maybe," Cyrus got within inches of Helena's face. "Just _maybe_ a family is all that I ever needed. Maybe I saved both my niece and my nephew within a matter of 24 hours because I need my family.. especially now."

"What do you mean especially now?" Helena squinted her eyes.

"I'm dying, you _bitch_."

The room fell silent. Eleanor threw her hand over her mouth looking over to her brother whose mouth was gaping open.

"The chemotherapy isn't working. I should be dead within the next few months. And maybe I regret not getting to know the twins better. Or Robert. Or my daughters. Or cherishing Simon, the wonderful brother I had." Cyrus choked up as tears welled in his eyes.

"But you, _you_ will never be my family you bitch. And I will die without an inkling of guilt, knowing that you were never worthy of my time or love." He promptly turned around and stormed out of the room.

Helena stood there speechless. For the first time ever, the twins saw their mother look like she actually had feelings of remorse. She gave Liam a glance before turning and leaving the room herself.

* * *

The sun had finally gone down. Eleanor walked into her room throwing her jacket onto the couch. Jasper followed into the room behind her.

"Are you okay?" he carefully asked.

"I'm fine, I just feel absolutely terrible for my uncle. He may have been a dick at times.. most times, but he's just too young to die. And who _knows_ what this means for the rest of my family from here on out."

She drew a bath starting to undress herself without looking at Jasper.

"Would you like to be alone? I can come back later."

"No, no. You can join me if you would like."

They laid under the warmth of the water facing each other in silence.

"I think that you have a problem with your bubble usage," Jasper spoke with a straight face as he applied a mountain of bubbles wrapping it around his chin.

Eleanor let out a giggle as she picked up a pile of bubbles and placed it on top of his head.

"You would make quite the sexy Santa Clause."

After drying off they laid down in her bed next to each other. He held her hand and kissed it. She looked over to him and looked like she was trying to hide a smile.

"What is it?" Jasper asked poking her nose with his finger.

"You called me your girlfriend today."

"What else did you want me to say to the girl? This is my lover, twice removed, that drives me crazy.. who I have to save in one way or another at least once a week, that I'm in love with?"

She playfully punched his arm. "I think I'll stick with girlfriend."

They got ready for bed under the sheets a little while later. She wrapped her leg around his waist facing him as she ran her hand through his hair. He had his eyes closed as he traced her back with his fingers.

"Would you like to get away with me?" he suddenly asked opening his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I think that the both of us have gone through enough lately.. maybe we could get away for a week or so to just have time to ourselves. Drama free."

"But what about James? Or Cyrus.. or Liam?"

"We know that James is going to be okay. Cyrus still has time for you to rekindle your relationship. And Liam is a big boy, he will be just fine."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere you want to go. I've been to most places so.."

"Okay _Princess_."

"But yes, I would love to get away with you."

"We will pack our bags in the morning. Now in the mean time, this lingerie you're wearing is driving me fucking crazy," he whispered running his hands along her matching black lace bra and panties.

Jasper lightly nibbled on her neck as he slowly slipped his hand into her panties.

"Now put your hair back up how I like it."

Eleanor eagerly complied.


	13. The Vacation

One of Eleanor's private jets was waiting for them outside. Jasper took her luggage as he led the way. She had been told to pack clothing prepared for warm weather and a few bikini's. He refused to tell her exactly where they were going, but she liked the idea of not knowing. As the Princess, she was usually in charge and not surprised very often.

It had only been 4 days since they had visited the hospital but James had shown immense improvement. He was taken off the ventilator and was able to speak again in short segments.

Eleanor felt uncertain leaving everyone behind. There essentially wasn't a day that passed recently that wasn't filled with turmoil. But Jasper wouldn't let her decide otherwise, and Liam encouraged for them to go on vacation as well.

They entered the jet. It looked twice as big from the inside as it did outside. There was a full kitchen, bar, 2 beds, at least 10 mini couches covered in red fabric, a dinner sized table, a bathroom, and 2 huge HD TV's. The inside was lined with metallic red paint contrasted by the black color of the rest of the interior. Jasper was visibly astonished.

"Have you never been inside a plane before, bodyguard?" Eleanor teased as she casually took a seat on one of the chairs.

"This jet is so _you_ ," he replied looking around with his mouth slightly open.

"Perhaps because this jet is so _mine_."

"Hello your highness," a voice behind them suddenly spoke. "My name is Craig, I will be your captain today. Bob will be my co-pilot. And this is Daniel." He referenced to the younger man standing next to him. "He will be assisting you with anything you may need during the duration of our flight."

"Hi Daniel," Eleanor lightly blushed glancing at Jasper who looked intimidating.

"We are looking at approximately a 21 hour flight this morning."

Eleanor's jaw dropped. "Okay, where the hell could we possibly be going?"

"I'm sorry your highness, I was asked for confidentiality by Mr. Frost."

" _Fine_. Thank you Craig.. Daniel I would love a glass of champagne."

"It's 10 A.M., Eleanor," Jasper interjected.

"I suppose I will wait a bit then." She straightened up in her seat.

The jet smoothly took off and they were above the clouds within minutes. Jasper gaped outside of the window as Eleanor carelessly scrolled through her phone.

"So who's this Daniel kid?" Jasper asked not breaking his stare out of the window.

"He's my flight attendant."

"He didn't seem like just a flight attendant to you."

" _Jesus_ Jasper don't start getting jealous on me already. We've been on this bloody trip for nearly 20 minutes. Yes, there have been quite a few lonely trips I've had to travel myself and he was there to accompany me," she responded not looking away from her phone.

He rolled his eyes and decided to not make an argument out of this one.

4 hours into the flight Eleanor popped open a bottle of champagne. She poured herself and Jasper a glass. He hesitatingly took the flute from her hand that she offered him.

"To us," she simply said before guzzling half of the glass.

"Just because we are on vacation doesn't give you a pass to get absolutely wasted around me. In fact I was hoping for the opposite." He pensively stared into her eyes.

" _Calm down_ bodyguard. I'm simply celebrating a week away from that pathetic excuse of a palace," she rolled her eyes taking another sip. "And besides.. if anything, you prevent me from going over board and losing my shit. You just _might_ make me happy."

Jasper smirked as she slammed her glass down on the table.

"Don't take that straight to your head," Eleanor instantly regretted being so straightforward and vulnerable with him. She cautiously looked back up at him.

"To us." Jasper raised his glass with a much more delicate expression on his face.

Daniel walked over to their mini table with his hands folded. He was wearing white gloves with a light blue suit. He had sandy blonde hair that swept across his forehead and green eyes.

"Pardon me for interrupting," he softly spoke. "We will be serving dinner within the next couple of hours. Will it be charbroiled salmon over rice pilaf and brocolini, or filet mingon served medium rare with mashed potatoes and asparagus?"

"Salmon for me," Eleanor instantly chimed in raising her glass. She glanced across the table at Jasper who was unintentionally glaring at Daniel. She slammed on his foot from under the table.

His eyes widened. "Ouch- um. Sure, salmon as well," Jasper replied refocusing his gaze onto his champagne flute.

"I don't like him," he spoke under his breath as Daniel walked away.

"Well I don't like Samantha, Brittany, my _mother_ , the list goes on.. Just shut up already."

Eleanor without a doubt shut him up as he cleared his throat and finished his glass.

* * *

They had been flying for 12 hours and grew tired after finishing two champagne bottles together. Jasper laid on one of the beds on his back with his arm covering his face. Eleanor closed the curtains behind them and slowly took her top off exposing a black push up bra.

"Have you ever been a part of the mile high club, Jasper?"she seductively spoke as she began to inch the sides of her skinny jeans off of her hips.

"No." Jasper quickly responded without thought, hypnotized by the view in front of him. He slid up against the pillows and continued watching her.

"Well that's a shame," Eleanor whispered as she threw her panties his way, standing stark naked in front of him.

He remained speechless as she hovered on top of his body. He was still fully clothed and decided to reach to unbutton his shirt.

"Ah, ah." Eleanor put her hand on his stopping him. "Let me do it."

She nibbled his earlobe and licked the length of his neck as he let out a light moan. He tried to grab onto her thighs but she slapped his hand away.

Eleanor continued to tease him finally taking his shirt off. She looked over at a glass of water on the side table. She took a sip catching a couple ice cubes in her mouth. After swallowing the water she slid the ice cubes to the forefront of her mouth and delicately traced them along his abs.

Jasper's body clenched up as goose bumps formed along his torso. He breathed heavily as she slid her tongue below his belly button. She undid his pants and slid his boxer's down while crunching the remainder of ice in her mouth.

"What're you doin- _oh my God_ ," Jasper couldn't hold back a loud groan as she covered her mouth around the length of his erection.

The contrasting natural warmth of her mouth to the frigidness of the ice formed the perfect combination. He had never felt anything like this in his life. Jasper could barely move his body as he laid there paralyzed in pleasure.. a complete victim to her seduction.

Eleanor stopped what she was doing and looked up at him with a taunting smile.

"Get over here," he growled at her vigorously grabbing onto her hips and throwing her onto her back.

* * *

"We should be landing in about 20 minutes, your highness," the speaker boomed over the bedroom waking them both up at the same time. They were still naked and Jasper looked around in a panic for his briefs. As he shifted through the sheets looking for them Eleanor threw them at his face.

"Get dressed handsome. I'm excited to see where you have taken me," she smirked at him slipping her jeans back on.

The jet descended and had a smooth landing. Eleanor looked out the window. It looked like they had landed in some sort of a tropical forest. Through the trees she saw the most beautiful, florescent blue ocean she had ever seen.

"Welcome to Fiji baby," Jasper whispered kissing the back of her head as he buttoned his shirt.

A grin spread across Eleanor's face. "How did you know?"

"Honestly? James mentioned to me that you had never been to Fiji during your fit in the penthouse." He couldn't fight back a smile as she scowled at him.

With the help of the crew on board Jasper led Eleanor toward a private resort located on the Matangi Island. The sun was setting across the sea, with vivid purple and pink hues expanding across the sky. They approached a wood and straw hut that set on the beach, just feet away from the ocean's tide.

"This looks like something out of that Disney movie.. The Jungle Book," Eleanor gaped up at the hut. Jasper snickered at her amazement.

The hut was surrounded by vibrant green foliage and plants. A large hammock that could probably hold four people stretched across two palm trees next to it. Tiki lamps were lit up on either side of the scene. Eleanor had visited many locations and resorts in her life, but this was like nothing she had ever experienced.

"Oh, look, there are sea turtles!" she exclaimed jumping up and down grabbing onto Jasper's hand. He smiled grabbing her from behind and kissed her on the neck.

Coming from Las Vegas, he himself had never seen anything even remotely as beautiful as this location. But nothing was more beautiful than seeing how happy Eleanor was in this state of excitement.

Eleanor's crew from the jet set down the rest of their luggage and said their goodbyes.

"Are you ready?" Jasper asked grinning holding the key to their place in his hand. She jumped wrapping her legs around his waist and grabbed the key from his hand. He held her from underneath her bottom as she leaned toward the door opening it.

The room was almost as gorgeous as the view outside. The furniture was hued in beige and brown colors. There were intricate carvings of different symbols along the pillars. The master bed canopy draped curtains around the parameter. Indoor plants filled every corner of each room. Large windows hung open spreading a cool wind throughout the hut.

Eleanor squealed jumping from his arms as she ran around the place like a child. Jasper chased after her and tackled her onto the bed. He laid on top of her laughing like he hadn't in years. She gazed into his eyes as they both slowed down their laughter.

"I can't believe you would plan all of this for me," she softly spoke running her hands through his hair.

"Anything for you, Princess," he whispered against her lips lightly kissing her. "Let's shower and get to bed. I have a lot planned for us tomorrow."

* * *

The room was dark and moist. There was very little light, but enough to see. Flashlights lit up certain areas illuminating wooden stairs and cardboard boxes.

"Liam!" someone shouted, echoing throughout the room. Within seconds a man emerged from the dark. He had a goatee and glowing evil eyes. He was also holding a gun pointed directly at the Prince.

A shot was fired, and Agent Hill jumped in front of the bullet shielding it from Liam. He instantly fell to the ground as the Princess screamed.

Desperately fumbling for his gun, his hand withdrew the pistol and shot the bearded man a few times in the head watching the life get instantly taken from him.

Jasper sat erect in the bed covered in a light puddle of sweat. He looked around the suite and was quickly reminded of where he was. The wind was blowing at a steady pace past the bedroom which cooled him off. He looked down at Eleanor who was sound asleep next to him.

Quietly exiting the bed not to wake her, Jasper put on a t-shirt and walked outside. He looked at his watch which read 3:12 A.M. He sat on the edge of the deck which grazed just above the sand. Putting his head in his hands, he replayed the nightmare over and over again in his mind. Jasper had this dream every night since he killed the leader of Domino.

He waited on the deck as thoughts and different scenario's of the dream ran through his mind. He sat there until the sun began to come up far off in the distance above the ocean. He pensively stared out across the water watching the colors change in the sky.

"Jasper?" he heard Eleanor's raspy voice making him lightly jump. "Are you okay?"

She sat down next to him and observed his face. He didn't reply a word as she tightened the robe around her waist.

"Why are you out here?" Eleanor could easily read the pain that was written across his face but she didn't understand why. They had just arrived in one of the most beautiful locations on Earth just last night.

After another few moments of silence she shared his gaze out over the ocean. The sun was making an appearance as the outline of birds flew across the water.

"Jet lag," Jasper simply replied clenching his jaw.

A few hours went by and Eleanor had decided to give him his space. Jasper didn't move from his spot on the deck and didn't speak much at all. She walked into the bathroom stepping into the shower. The water fell from spouts on the ceiling. It felt like a light rain was falling over her. The Princess was still in amazement of how damn _cool_ this place was.

After showering she put on a basic black string bikini and covered it with a see through halter dress. She blew dry her hair into wavy curls and put on pink eye shadow to contrast her dark eyeliner.

Emerging from the bathroom she could smell breakfast cooking. Looking outside the suite she saw Jasper setting up one of the outdoor tables with plates and silverware.

"Can I help you with anything?" Eleanor asked opening up the sliding glass door.

"No." Jasper looked over at her with a much softer expression than earlier. "You look stunning as always."

They ate pancakes and eggs along with an assortment of fruit that Jasper had prepared for them. Eleanor couldn't keep his eyes off of him, still wondering what was or had been on his mind. He looked as though he was fighting off certain thoughts in his head. He kept his eyes on the ocean.

Although Eleanor usually loved to challenge him, she felt it was best to leave it alone and try to keep whatever was on his mind on something else.

"So what do we have planned for today, bodyguard?"

Jasper finally turned his gaze back onto her, his eyes diminishing a darker hue.

After finishing their mostly silent breakfast they headed out to a taxi that was waiting for them. They drove along the island through the stunning tropical setting. Joining a group of tourists, they were instructed that they would be going on a hike to one of the largest waterfalls on the island.

Eleanor felt her inner child jumping up and down. She grabbed onto Jasper's hand and kissed it giving him a huge smile. He smiled back at her mentally coming back to Earth again.

The hike lasted for a couple miles but it was worth the trek. No one recognized Eleanor which was extremely refreshing for her. At the most, some asked where in the UK she was from recognizing her accent.

Toward the top of the mountain Eleanor grew tired and hopped onto Jasper's back grabbing around his neck.

" _Jesus_ Princess, you could have given me some warning," he growled grabbing onto her thighs.

A few people looked over at her.

"Ha! I love when you call me the Princess," she awkwardly laughed before lightly smacking him on the chest from behind.

After another 30 minutes they finally reached the colossal waterfall. There were various entry spots to jump off from. Several tourists were already in the pools, laughing and swimming around.

Jasper set her down off his back stretching his neck.

"Alright you get me on the way down." He hung his arms around the back of her shoulders weighing down on her, making her giggle.

Wanting to go to the highest peak of the waterfall, they climbed all the way up the side. Holding onto each other's hand they gave one final look before jumping into the water together.

Resurfacing above the water, Eleanor gasped for air. She watched as Jasper followed close behind her swishing his wet hair to the side.

"That may or may not have been the most exhilarating experience of my life," Eleanor beamed while swimming in place.

Jasper grinned grabbing onto her hips and bringing her in closer. They passionately kissed, not caring who was around to see them. This was their moment.

* * *

Returning to the hut later that evening, Eleanor and Jasper laid on the bed checking their phones. Eleanor had a surplus of missed calls and text messages but she only scrolled through the important ones. Luckily nothing had blown up at the palace, no one had died, and her brother wasn't kidnapped at the moment. Satisfied, she threw her phone back to the side.

Eleanor switched off the lamp and rolled onto her side embracing Jasper from behind. She delicately kissed him on the back before telling him she loved him. She quickly fell asleep.

The clock read 2:07 A.M. Eleanor's eyes jolted open to the sound of Jasper grunting in his sleep. He was still mostly in her arms and was thrashing back and forth. His skin had a light mist of sweat all along his arms and back. She slowly let him out of her grip sliding away.

"No- no.." he whispered under his breath. It was apparent that he was in some sort of a nightmare. Eleanor didn't know what to do as she watched on in concern. Jasper gave one more violent tremble before waking himself up completely out of breath.

Eleanor closed her eyes pretending to be asleep. She opened her eyes just enough so she could make out what he was doing. He placed his hand on his chest which was heaving up and down. Within a few seconds he got out of the bed and walked into the bathroom. She heard the faucet turn on for quite some time. Closing her eyes involuntarily, she fell back to sleep quickly.

Eleanor woke up the next morning in an empty bed. She could hear one of the TV's on in the other room. Opening up the curtain that separated the bedroom from the living room, she saw Jasper propped up on a chair from behind. The TV displayed some sort of an infomercial with people speaking in a different language. Jasper was fast asleep against the chair, with a glass in his hand. She picked the glass up and instantly knew what the liquid was getting a strong whiff of whiskey.

Jasper's eyes slowly fluttered open and he rubbed his face with his hands.

"What time is it?" he asked looking around the room confused.

"Around 9 I believe," she replied setting the glass down on the table next to her. "Why didn't you come back to bed last night?"

There was something about the look in his eyes that made Eleanor know she should take this subject very delicately.

Jasper closed his eyes again and leaned his head on his arm against the chair. "I couldn't sleep."

"Well maybe try to get some more rest.. in the bed. I'll make us breakfast in a little bit." Eleanor tried to give him a smile cupping his face.

"No, I can't- I don't want to," he corrected himself sitting upright and rubbing his eyes. "I'm just going to go shower."

In a scene all too similar to the morning before, they both sat in silence as they ate breakfast. However this time Jasper couldn't hide the fact that he was visibly exhausted.

"Jasper," Eleanor hesitatingly spoke. "You would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah.. yeah of course." He rubbed his eyes again. "I was thinking maybe we could just have a relaxed day today. Massages by the beach, get a tan.. what do you think?"

Eleanor furrowed her eyebrows knowing he was intentionally changing the subject.

"Yeah, I would love that," she spoke trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

They started the day off with a couple's massage on the beach right next to the ocean. Eleanor could have sworn she heard him snoring during his massage, but she was just happy to hear him finally getting some sleep.

After the massage they packed a bag full of sun screen, snacks, beach towels, and all of the essentials for a relaxing day on the beach. Jasper spread out their towels as close to the water as possible. Eleanor laid down soaking in the sun. Today she was wearing a hot pink string bikini, oversized black sunglasses, and her hair in a ponytail just the way Jasper liked.

The afternoon was filled with delightful conversations as Jasper slowly broke out of his mood. They spoke of their childhoods and he finally opened up about his family back in Nevada. However the conversation turned a bit dark once he spoke of his father.

"I was an only child," he spoke shielding the sun from his eyes looking toward Eleanor. "And because of that, my father had certain expectations. He would beat the living shit out of me if I didn't appease to him. My mother would watch on as he would beat me with his belt. She would look on in disapproval.. of me. She never did anything to help me except egg him on."

There was a pause as Eleanor tried to grasp onto everything he was saying.

"I've always felt unlovable. If my own parents don't love me, why would anyone else?"

Eleanor felt her heart sink. This explained _so_ much about Jasper Frost. The mysterious, hurt, ex-conman who seemed to desire the experience of pain at times. His eyes had always told his story, but his mouth finally just told her the details.

"Well your parents are idiots," Eleanor finally spoke up. She rolled over onto her stomach so she was hovering over his face. "Because you made someone like _me_ , probably one of the most difficult people on the planet, fall in love with you." She pecked him on the lips. ".. even though you may have screwed me over a few times."

"I never actually followed through with screwing you over, Princess. I never could."

"How about the time you went down on my mum?"

"Okay, maybe that time. But I didn't really have a choice.."

"Do you know what we're missing?" Eleanor quickly changed the subject pulling a bottle of tequila out of the bag that she had secretly stashed. "Who can have such a beautiful day on the beach without a little tequila?"

Jasper smirked at her sitting up. "Okay, I will allow it this time."

She pulled out two shot glasses, a bag of pre-cut limes, and a tiny salt shaker. He helped pour the shots and they both licked their hands before applying the salt.

"To us," Jasper toasted.

"To us." Eleanor smiled clinking the glasses together.

* * *

A few hours had passed. They were both borderline wasted by this point, but also having the time of their lives. After checking out the seashells on the shore strolling along the beach and watching several dolphins hop over the waves they laid back on their towels.

Eleanor was amused with how drunk Jasper was. She had never seen him this intoxicated. It was incredibly satisfying to see him let loose and lose touch of his darker side for just a little while.

"I'll bet you I can run to the ocean faster than you can," she slurred pointing her finger in his face. He tried to bite her finger but she quickly pulled it back.

Eleanor got up before he could reply and started sprinting toward the water. Jasper managed to catch up to her and bolted past her, just beating her by a couple of inches.

"That was an unfair start!" he shouted at her as Eleanor jumped onto his waist making him lose his balance and fall backward into the ocean.

They both howled with laughter splashing each other and playfully pushing each other around. After settling down Eleanor swam around the warm water on her back. She peered up at the endless powder blue sky. She was in true paradise.

The next thing she knew she felt Jasper scoop her up placing her into her frequent, and most favorite, position with her legs wrapped around his waist. He began deeply kissing her with salty lips from the ocean water.

By this point the sun was setting and vibrant blue, purple, and pink colors streamed across the sky. Jasper stopped kissing her and peered into her emerald eyes. The colors of the sunset reflected off of his stunning eyes that she lost herself in.

"I want to make love you to you, right here, right now," Jasper spoke above a whisper kissing her neck.

Eleanor glanced across the private beach. Not a person was in sight. And even if there was, it was next to impossible to ever reject any advances from Jasper.

Still wrapped around his waist Eleanor unlaced her bikini top and tossed it toward the shore.

Barely making it back to hut in the pitch black, Jasper and Eleanor stumbled back into their room. They were giggling like teenagers who had just avoided being caught doing something naughty. She pushed him onto his back on one of the couches. They were both still soaked from the ocean and covered in sand.

"We.. _really_.. should.. shower," Jasper could barely speak.

"You are so _fucking_ wasted and I love it," Eleanor taunted him. She picked him up by his hands and led him to the rainforest of a shower.

After washing themselves off they made their way back to the bed in bathrobes. Collapsing into the extremely comfy bed, they both fell asleep before they could even say good night.

* * *

Eleanor woke up the next morning to Jasper sleeping peacefully next to her. Apparently with the level of tequila they had consumed he was able to sleep sound throughout the night. She got out of the bed and gaped at herself in the mirror. Her whole body was a light shade of red and felt like every inch of her skin was mildly on fire. Apparently they hadn't used enough sunscreen yesterday.

She made her way to the kitchen and decided to give her best attempt at making breakfast for them. Mid way through burning the toast, she saw Jasper approach the kitchen from her peripheral. He was chuckling.

"Don't you _dare_ fucking laugh at me," she snapped opening the toaster and fanning the smoke. "I was just trying to make you breakfast you ass."

"No, I'm actually laughing at the fact that you look like a lobster."

Eleanor rolled her eyes glancing up at him. _How did he not have the capability to be as sun burnt as her? Could he ever not look perfect?_ He was slightly burnt but not nearly in her condition. It just looked more like a tan.

"Nevada's sun can get pretty hot. I'm used to it," he answered the question in her head.

Days passed filled with several activities that neither of them had ever done. They snorkeled with exotic fish, kayaked, paddle boarded, and she even got him to go bird watching. To Eleanor's knowledge, Jasper had slept well ever since that one night. She hadn't noticed a disturbance in his sleep and she woke up to him every morning next to her.

It was the last day of their trip. Eleanor didn't realize that 10 days could go by so _fast_. Tomorrow afternoon they would already be boarding her private jet back to England.

"Let's make the best of our last day baby," Jasper peered into her eyes after they woke up. He kissed her on the cheek. "Go get ready. The surprises aren't over just yet."

As he spoke, Eleanor heard her iPad buzzing. It was Liam on the other end trying to Skype with her.

"Can I take this real quick?" she politely asked Jasper who was lying on the bed next to her. He nodded his head.

"Hello brother!" Eleanor greeted him per usual.

"Len! You look.. like a lobster," she heard on the other end.

Jasper burst out into laughter before she could snap back at her brother.

"Great to see you as well, now what do you want?" Eleanor sarcastically spoke fighting back a smile. "I can confidently say it hasn't been a struggle being away from you for over a week."

"Ouch," Liam spoke on the other end. "I don't believe this is proper etiquette when speaking to the future King of England."

Eleanor's jaw dropped. " _What_ the fuck are you talking about?!"

"Mum has gone somewhat postal over the past week or so since Cyrus expressed his condition. She broke into our father's tombstone because she's bloody crazy.. needless to say, she did a DNA test and we're his children, Len. Like we've always known. And I will take over once Cyrus passes."

Eleanor threw her hand over her mouth not knowing how to respond. Jasper looked up at her visibly shocked and confused as well.

"Are- are you sure you're ready for this? You really need to make sure that you truly want this, and that this isn't just mum forcing it down-"

"Len," Liam interjected with a smirk on his face. "I promise you I know what I'm doing. I wanted to wait until you got back to tell you but I was too impatient. Please enjoy your last night there, I know it's going to be a great one."

Eleanor glanced at Jasper who had a contemplative expression on his face.

"Alright you two love birds, I'll see you tomorrow. It's almost midnight here in London. Love you sis!"

Before she could reply Liam disconnected the call.

"Bloody _hell,_ " Eleanor chucked her iPad back to the side table. "Only my thickheaded brother could nonchalantly call that he will soon be the King of England. I have so many questions.. and he didn't even tell me how James is doing."

"Baby," Jasper rolled on top of her dissipating all of her worrisome thoughts. "This is the last day we have to focus on and celebrate just you and me. Just like your brother said, we can figure all of this out tomorrow. Now go shower like I told you to, before I have to carry you in there myself."

An hour or so after getting ready they both emerged from the hut hand in hand. Jasper was wearing board shorts with some random pattern on it and Eleanor was in a black sequenced bikini top with black bottoms. He had told her that they would be spending the majority of their last day near the ocean.

"Hello, you must be Jasper," a man hopped on the deck extending his hand to him. He was a chubby older man with long dark hair and tan skin. "I'm Ratu."

"Nice to meet you Ratu, this is Eleanor."

For the first time in ten days, Eleanor could visibly sense that the man recognized who she was. The nervousness in his voice and uncomfortable stare gave it away.

"Hi," Eleanor shyly squeaked shaking his hand.

"Well- well let's go then!" Ratu instructed as he lunged onto the sand. He led them on a half mile trip on foot to another deserted beach. The white sand looked like it had never been stepped on. It glistened against the sun as they walked over it.

"This is where the baby sea turtles reside," he spoke with a thick accent.

" _Baby_ sea turtles?" Eleanor squealed grabbing onto Jasper's hand.

"You betcha, your highn- Eleanor," Ratu corrected himself with his face instantly turning red. "My job is to keep them from extinction. The both of you will be helping me transfer the hatchlings from the sand to the ocean."

Ratu dug a deep hole into a part of the sand exposing a dozen baby turtles that were small enough to fit into the palm of a hand. Eleanor couldn't hold back as she delicately placed one into her hands. It flapped it's tiny legs around in circles. It reminded her of the cutest puppy possible.. yet in reptile form.

She could feel tears of joy forming in her eyes as she gazed at the innocent, vulnerable creature in her hands. With Ratu's instruction Jasper and Eleanor cleaned off and lead more than 3 dozen baby sea turtles toward the ocean.

The Princess had never seen anything more beautiful in her life. Watching Jasper, the usual stuck up bodyguard, become so in touch with nature was also a turn on in itself.

After saying good bye to Ratu, they walked back to the private resort. They were greeted to a table outside of the hut fully equipped with candles, food, and drinks. A staff of servers waited around the table.

"Since when did we have someone around to fix us dinner? I could have taken advantage of this a while ago," Eleanor teased.

"Go change.. I'm hungry aren't you?"

"I could eat." Eleanor strutted back into the room. She chose a black crop top that cut off above her belly button with a matching skirt that cut off mid thigh. Black wedges accommodated her outfit with a sparkling diamond necklace that hung over her chest. She decided to just do one swipe of eyeliner since her pop of pale pink lipstick stood out on its own.

Jasper was waiting for her outside sipping on a glass of whiskey. He had on a black short sleeved button down shirt and navy blue slacks. His hair was tossed in gel across his forehead to perfection.

"Hello bodyguard," she playfully greeted him sitting down on the seat across from him. The sun had just set, and purples hues spread across the sky. Tiki torches were lit surrounding the table, illuminating Jasper's face.

"I must say.." Eleanor started as she cut a piece of carrot with her fork and knife. "This has been the best trip I've ever been on in my life. You truly know how to make me happy."

Instantly feeling vulnerable she took his glass of whiskey and took a swig. One of the servers that was surrounding the table offered her a portion of whiskey for herself. She accepted.

"Seeing you in this state of mind.. experiencing the true Eleanor that I fell in love with was far more beautiful than any location could ever show me." Jasper was visibly anxious, looking down at his plate a lot as he spoke.

"It means the world to me that you planned all of this.. for me," she spoke taking a sip of the bourbon.

A cool breeze passed by as she took in her beautiful surroundings. The servers began to clear the plates in front of them.

Jasper looked more nervous than she had ever seen him. He had a light mist of sweat covering his forehead. His gaze finally broke from the table and into her eyes. For once, Eleanor couldn't read what his eyes were trying to tell her.

He stood up from his seat slowly approaching her side.

"Len," Jasper softly spoke putting her hands into his. "Since the moment I met you, you scared the hell out of me." He broke out into a shaky grin which made her smile.

"You challenge me, you threaten me, you tease me.. you love me." His voice sounded like he was on the verge of tears. Eleanor felt her breath shorten. Anxiety hit. _What is he doing?_ She took another gulp of whiskey.

"You taught myself to be the best man that I can be," Jasper spoke dropping to one knee. "Fuck the monarchy.. you will always be _my_ Princess regardless. I will continue to make you the happiest woman to the best of my abilities. I will always be there to protect you, designated bodyguard or not. I promise you that."

Jasper paused opening a small case exposing the most beautiful diamond ring Eleanor had ever seen. A large black onyx stone was surrounded by platinum glistening diamonds in the form of vibrant bubbles embracing the stone.

"Marry me, Eleanor."


	14. Nightmares

**A/N: Here's "Part 2" to the previous chapter. I divided it so it wouldn't be too long. Happy reading, and thanks as always for the feedback, you guys are the best! :]**

* * *

"You must be crazy," Eleanor's eyes scanned Jasper's face as quick as possible. He stood on one knee quietly holding the stunning engagement ring in its box.

"My world is insane. Nothing stays stable for more than 5 minutes back at home."

"You think I don't know that?" Jasper began to look worried.

Eleanor's head had a million thoughts going through her mind. _Does he know what he's getting himself into? We've been unstable ever since I met him, how could I be so sure? How will I know that he won't hurt me again? How do I know that I won't hurt him?_

After a moment of silence he began to stand up with his eyes fixed on the ground. Without making eye contact he began to close the ring box.

"No- wait!" she put her hands over his. Jasper peered into her eyes looking like he had just been punched in the stomach. Eleanor could feel herself lightly shaking. "I don't want either of us to get hurt. My world is nonstop, nothing is ever consistent."

"Yeah, I get it-"

"But-but the only thing that has remained constant and persistent is my love for you, Jasper. You are _absolutely_ mad.. but so am I. Yes- yes I will," Eleanor stuttered. She could feel tears of joy forming in her eyes.

With the weight of the world off of his shoulders, Jasper's eyes lightened back to their normal shade of blue as he smirked.

"Always keeping me on my toes, Princess. Even now," he spoke taking the ring out of the box. He delicately took her left hand and put it on her ring finger.

Eleanor gazed at the beauty of the ring. It was absolutely perfect. But what was even more perfect was the man standing before her. Jasper truly was everything she could ever want in a man. Sexy, confident, challenging.. and mostly, he put up with her shit. He really meant it when he said he would never give up on her, and it didn't seem like he was going to any time soon.

She squealed jumping into his arms wrapping her legs around his waist. She put his face in her hands before kissing him. She pecked him on the lips over and over again glancing into his eyes. He too had a couple of tears running down his face.

"I love you so much Jasper."

* * *

 **2 Weeks Later**

After the surprise engagement, Eleanor decided that she would only wear her ring inside the palace for now. Until things settled, it was best for her family that she keep it secret for a little while. Liam already knew what Jasper had been planning when they returned. He even helped him go ring shopping. Eleanor didn't fully understand how they had any time to discuss the proposal with everything that had happened weeks prior. Liam also managed to get a new girlfriend within a few weeks named Cynthia. Eleanor didn't know how she felt about her. She wasn't sure if she was just being protective, as he had just been given news that he would soon be King. She would never want a girl to take advantage of her brother. So she kept a close eye on her.

Helena was nothing short of astonished when she heard of the news. Eleanor couldn't blame her mother as she was pretty surprised herself. But Helena was reassured when speaking to her daughter about everything. Jasper and Eleanor were intensely in love and there was no one else for each other. He was good for her. He anchored her. And plus, Eleanor _had_ taken her mother's advice to follow her heart.. no matter who the man may be. All the Queen asked of her daughter was to not get 'knocked up' any time soon.

Cyrus' condition had dramatically declined since their vacation. It seemed as though his time would be sooner than predicted. Eleanor was genuinely regretful that her uncle most likely wouldn't be there for her wedding. He didn't leave his bed very often and nurses maintained a close watch on him at all times.

The Queen made a broadcast to the people of England. She announced their King's grim condition. A few tears had dropped from her eyes as she spoke, and Eleanor actually found them to be authentic. Helena also spoke of Liam's confirmation as the next King, and England was incredibly receptive. #KingLiam was everywhere she looked. It was refreshing to see the support of the people and how much they loved her twin. Eleanor was confident that he would make a great King and live up to their father's name.

James was able to leave the hospital and stay at his sister's house a week prior. He had shown immense recovery over the past few weeks and showed signs of improvement every day. Just as Eleanor had promised his daughter, she told Jen to bring Nina over to the palace today.

"Do you think Nina will like my room, babe?" Eleanor shouted at Jasper as he emerged from the bathroom post shower. The collar of his shirt was in an upward position as he tightened his tie around his neck.

"Yeah.. I mean aside from the red spray paint beautifully etched across all of your walls. That isn't setting the best example Princess."

"Perhaps I should fix that," Eleanor whispered with her eyes narrowed.

"I'm on duty in a few minutes," Jasper spoke walking toward her looking at his watch. "I will see you around, fiancée."

The word gave her butterflies and she couldn't hold back a smile. "See you, fiancée." Jasper gave her a kiss before throwing his jacket on and leaving her room. Within a few minutes Eleanor decided to call staff into her room with paint to cover her doors and walls with a new coat.

It was time for a fresh start. Jasper would soon be moving his things into her room. She also wanted to be a better Princess. She wanted to be the best young woman that she could be. Eleanor knew she would never lose her sass and sharp attitude, but it was time to settle down. For herself, and for her fiancée. _Shit, maybe this engagement thing really is getting to me._

Eleanor hadn't done any drugs except the occasional joint that she would sneak late at night. She honestly didn't have any desire to do any other form of drug. Being happy felt great. It was a natural high.

After a few hours Jen called from outside. She and Nina had arrived. Eleanor jumped with excitement as she ran down the stairs past the guards and opened the door for them. She was greeted by little Nina with her big green eyes staring up at amazement through the entrance of the palace.

"Wow..." she gazed looking around.

"Say hi to Eleanor," Jen smiled looking up to the Princess. "Thank you for having us, she hasn't stopped talking about you since she met you."

"Of course, come on in." Eleanor gave them a quick tour of the palace holding onto Nina's hand. Nina was mostly silent in awe of all of her surroundings. Jen explained that she had a studio apartment, so this was quite the shock for her niece.

"And this is my bedroom," Eleanor spoke opening up her door. "Sorry if it smells like paint, I just had my walls redone.."

"Wow! Your bed is so big! What's it like to jump on it?"

"Honestly, I'm not too sure. Why don't you take your shoes off and we can give it a try?"

Eleanor grabbed onto Nina's hands as she jumped up and down with her laughing hysterically. She felt like a young kid again. Eleanor loved living vicariously through her eyes. Once they slowed down bouncing Nina noticed the huge rock on her finger.

"That ring is humongous! Did your boyfriend give it to you?"

Eleanor felt her cheeks lightly blush. "You're a smart little girl, aren't you? Yes he did." She took it off so Nina could closely examine it.

"Congratulations, he seems like a very nice man," Jen spoke with a smile on her face.

"Thank you, he truly is amazing.. anyways let's go see my ponies!" Eleanor changed the subject, taking Nina's hand again and leading the three of them out to the stables.

"Ooo! I love the black one, she's so pretty!" Nina exclaimed jumping up and down.

"That's funny you say that, this one is my favorite of the lot. Her name is Shadow."

After securing a saddle and reins onto Shadow, Jen helped Eleanor lift Nina onto her. Eleanor placed a mini helmet on her head and instructed her how to properly hold onto the horse. She assured her that Shadow was a very mellow horse and shouldn't be scared.

Jen and Eleanor walked next to each other closely following Nina.

"So James is doing okay?"

"Yes, the doctor's are truly shocked at how fast he is recovering. He can talk for a good while without needing to take a break, he's able to walk around for a few minutes at a time. It truly is a miracle."

"I understand that he is staying with you at your place right now.. but I would like to have it arranged that he finish his recovery process here at the palace. I will assign him a new room and make sure he is under constant supervision. And I would have to talk to James about it, but I would love for him to have his daughter here with him as well."

"Do you really mean it?" Jen stopped walking as she peered into Eleanor's eyes. "You would really do that for my brother?"

"He sacrificed his life for _my_ brother. Liam wouldn't be with us if he didn't do what he did. He deserves nothing but the best.. and besides, I wasn't joking when I told Nina he truly is my best friend. It's hard to find genuine people when you're the Princess. And trust me I've tried." Eleanor crossed her arms rolling her eyes.

Jen unexpectedly hugged Eleanor. "You don't know how much this will mean to him. Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me." Eleanor smiled feeling her heart warm.

They spent a few more hours wandering the rose gardens and she showed Nina the fountain her and her brother used to play in when they were young.. but would get them in trouble. Nina eventually grew tired and they decided it was time for them to leave.

"Thank you Princess!" Nina shouted once more as she showed them out the door.

"Please, call me Len. Give your daddy a big hug for me, okay?" Nina nodded her head.

"I will call you as soon as I speak to James about your generous offer. _Thank you_ again. We will see you soon." Jen hugged Eleanor and she watched them walk away back toward Jen's old beat up Volkswagen.

Being with the girls today truly reminded the Princess of how lucky she was. She lived the dream and she had taken that for granted.

Returning to her room, she saw an approximately 6'2 man standing outside of her door with a suit and his hands folded.. and an earpiece. Typical bodyguard attire.

"And.. you are?" Eleanor cocked her head to the side.

"Excuse me your highness. I'm Agent Green. Dustin Green. I will be your temporary security detail as Agent Hill recovers."

She looked him up and down closely examining him. He had dark brown almost black hair that he slicked back with gel and striking blue eyes.. just like someone she knew. The man was no doubt drop dead gorgeous. She could only imagine how Jasper would react once he saw her new body guard. He was always so damn jealous..

"Well, nice to meet you Mr. Green. A quick run through. Don't ever wake me up as I like to sleep in most mornings. Don't constantly follow me around everywhere I go.. that bothers me. And finally, I want absolutely no judgments," she demanded with her hand on her hip.

Eleanor could already tell he was judging her with the look of fear on his face.

"Yes- yes your highness, of course."

"Good. Then I think we will be just fine." She patted him on the shoulder before entering her room.

She was greeted to an immaculate, almost unrecognizable room. Not only did the staff repaint her walls, but they added new wood flooring which was previously stained from God knows what. There was new wallpaper put up with roses across them, her favorite flower. The oil painting that she had ruined with the spray paint had been replaced. She even had a new bed with a black headboard and a black duvet with white ruffles along the sides. The couches had been updated as well.

 _How the bloody hell did they have time to do this so quickly? How did they know exactly what my taste is?_

"Do you like it baby?" Jasper spoke from behind her making her jump.

"You _know_ I hate it when you sneak up on me like that.."

He was holding a bouquet of pink and red roses with a shy smile on his face.

"Wait.. did you have something to do with all of this?"

He smirked as he approached her and gave her a quick kiss.

"No offense, but your room was kind of disgusting-"

" _Excuse me,_ it was not that bad."

"It was bad."

Eleanor glared at him.

"I wanted to surprise you with a brand new room just to your liking. A fresh start. And plus, I will be living in here soon enough. I would like to enjoy my new bedroom as well without being reminded of all the drugs that have been done and men that have been fucked in your bed."

She couldn't hold back an eye roll as she took the bouquet out of his hands. She delicately kissed him on the lips a couple times.

"Thank you Jasper. You never cease to amaze me. When will we finally be moving your things up here?"

"Well, there is some other news I wanted to share with you," he said sitting down on one of the new couches patting the spot next to him. She sat down.

"There was a conference that I was unaware of while we were on vacation. Basically trying to figure out who should take over Pryce's position. And well.. they want me, baby. They think I'm the best candidate."

Eleanor's eyes widened. She didn't know how to feel about this one.

"Well, are you going to take the position?"

"I wanted to discuss it with you first," he softly spoke putting his hand on her lap. "What do you think?"

"There's no doubt in my mind that you would make an amazing head of security detail.. but quite frankly there's no reason for you to work if you didn't want to.. you're going to be marrying the _Princess_ after all."

"As much as I love you, there is no way I couldn't work. We would probably drive each other crazy, let's be honest."

"Yeah, you're right.. well it's up to you babe. I trust your decision. I just wonder what the press will think once they find out about all of this.."

"Since when has Princess Eleanor cared about what the press thinks? I'm pretty sure a year or so ago we all saw the 'royal beaver' across newspapers as you danced on a table."

Eleanor playfully slapped him on the arm. "Maybe I want to change Jasper.. for the better. I'm tired of being a rebellious, out of control, spoiled brat of a Princess. Especially for the support of Liam. I need to set a good example for him.. maybe it's finally time to grow up."

Jasper looked pleasantly surprised as she spoke. "That's amazing to hear baby. I couldn't be more proud of you." He took her hand in his and delicately kissed her ring.

"So are you going to take the job, bodyguard?"

"Yeah, I think I am." A smile spread across his face that reassured Eleanor that he was doing the right thing.

"I'm proud of you too babe."

The next day Jasper took the day off and they finally moved most of his belongings up to her room. He had packed most of his clothing from his closet, and staff helped bring his dresser up. They placed it next to hers. They also moved his TV that she had installed for him a month ago. She actually had never had a television in her room so she was quite excited.

" _Jesus_ Len, there isn't a single spot to hang my suits.. and this closet is bigger than my old room downstairs," Jasper snapped.

"I'll donate a few things to charity, calm down you crybaby," Eleanor sighed carrying one of his boxes.

After everything had settled, Jasper was downstairs grabbing the last few items. He walked up to their room seeing Eleanor talking to a bodyguard he had never seen before. She was laughing at something he said.

Jasper stopped dead in his tracks and dropped the box on the floor. He walked up to them and looked Dustin up and down.

"Jasper, this is Mr. Green. My temporary security detail," Eleanor saw the look of animosity spread across her fiancées face.

"Hi, I'm kind of new around here." Dustin extended his hand toward Jasper. After a few seconds Jasper finally grabbed onto his hand and shook it.

"I know how that feels," Jasper dryly spoke looking toward Eleanor who gave him a dirty look. "I will be the new head of security within the next couple of weeks. I will be keeping my eye on you, Green."

And with that, Jasper turned around and picked the box back up and walked into their room.

"Sorry, don't mind him. He can be rather bitchy sometimes." Eleanor blushed as Dustin gave an awkward nod. "I will see you in a bit."

"What the _hell_ was that all about?" Eleanor hissed slamming the door behind her.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you going to turn into a total jerk now that you have this new position? And now that you're my fiancée? And are you going to be a complete dick to every man that I speak to? Has this all just gone straight to your head? Because I will simply not have any of this."

"I'm sorry Len, calm down. I just know what it was like in his position no less than a year ago. I was in his _exact_ position. And I was instantly enthralled by you."

"You're going to have to get over that. Men are going to love me. They always will. But I love you Jasper!" she shouted at him. "Now grow some balls and trust me already!"

Jasper was taken aback by her anger. They hadn't fought in weeks.

They spent the rest of the night in silence unpacking the rest of his belongings. Eleanor was happy to have the TV in the room to mask the awkward silence.

She heard her cell phone buzzing on her side table. She ran over and picked it up hoping it was Jen. To her surprise she heard James' voice on the other end.

"Hello Princess." His voice sounded hoarse and out of breath.

"James!" Eleanor squealed as she walked in to the bathroom out of ear shot from Jasper. "How are you? How's the pain? Did Nina tell you about our day- I'm sorry, I'm bloody rambling.. I'm just so excited to hear your voice."

"As am I, Eleanor. I can't speak for long, but Jen told me about your thoughtful and considerate offer. Nina and I would love to take you up on it."

"Yay!" Eleanor couldn't hold back another squeal. "I will have them start on your room and hers first thing in the morning, I promise. I just can't wait to see you. Get some rest, we will talk in the morning."

"Thank you so much. Your act of selflessness is astounding. Good night Princess."

Eleanor hung up the phone feeling the absolute happiest she had in months.. if not years. She had just gotten engaged to the man of her dreams.. despite him being extremely jealous and difficult. She was sober. She had her best friend coming back to the palace. She had Nina, so many ideas to plan for the two of them. She had her brother making the biggest turning point of his life in line as the next King.

Unfortunately this happiness wouldn't last too long, as it never did.

Jasper asked how the conversation went. Still slightly upset with him, she was short and straight to the point.

"James is going to be transferred back to the palace. I am going to have a new room set into motion for him, and another one for Nina tomorrow morning."

"That's great! I can't wait to see him," Jasper replied folding a pair of pants and putting it in his dresser.

"I'm sure you are. At least you know that James isn't a threat." Eleanor rolled her eyes pulling some of his toiletries out of another box.

The rest of the night they didn't speak much further. She knew she couldn't stay mad at him long, especially over a petty argument.. but she wanted him to know that she was serious. The jealousy thing was cute at first, but it had only gotten worse the more serious they got. She could only _imagine_ what it would be like once she would be his wife.

Eleanor slipped into her laced black night gown and hopped into bed. The new bed was just as comfortable as it looked. It felt like she was lying on top of clouds. They laid there in silence as she turned on her side away from him.

"I'm working on it baby, just give me some time.. please." Jasper traced his fingers across her back and placed his hand on his waist before they both fell asleep.

* * *

Jasper was walking down the street with his gun drawn. He was holding a shot gun shooting innocent pedestrians walking past him. He perfectly hit each one in the head instantly killing them as they fell to the floor. Blood splattered across the sidewalk. He had no remorse as he reloaded the shot gun.

He sat straight up in bed sweating profusely looking around the room confused where he was once again. The digital clock read 2:45 A.M. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and walked into the bathroom splashing his face with water. Jasper gazed at himself in the mirror absolutely furious.

"Goddammit!" he yelled slamming his fists down on the counter.

Eleanor instantly woke up. She walked over and saw him staring at himself in the mirror puffing his chest up and down. He looked extremely disturbed and it was the first time she had seen that dangerous glimmer in his eyes in a while. She neared behind him lightly placing her hand on his back. His shirt was drenched in sweat.

"Every.. fucking.. night!" Jasper shouted repetitively slamming his fists on the counter. Eleanor was scared. She slowly backed away not knowing what to do. "I just want it to fucking stop already!" He broke out into tears falling to the ground with his head in his hands. He loudly sobbed breaking out into random spouts of anger hitting his fist up against the wall.

"Your highness, what's going on in here?" Dustin walked into her room staring at the both of them in her bathroom.

" _Get him_ the fuck away from me!" Jasper yelled making her jump.

"It's- it's okay Dustin, I've got this I promise. He would never hurt me. I will call if I need you." Eleanor was visibly terrified. She had seen Jasper in many states of anger before, but this was something else.

Dustin slowly backed out of the room with his eyes glued on Jasper who had resumed sobbing in his hands.

"Baby, please talk to me," Eleanor soothingly spoke brushing his hair with her fingers.

"I- I can't," he cried. "I can't talk about it."

Eleanor led him from the bathroom which had a few fresh holes punched into the walls. She sat him down on the couch and put his hands into hers.

"I understand that you don't want to talk about it right now. But please, just know that I am here for you and I'm here to listen. Whatever is going on.. you will get through this, I promise."

Jasper looked down at his lap without making eye contact. Eleanor lightly raised his chin with her hand peering into his blood shot eyes. He had stopped crying and looked emotionally drained. His gaze was vacant.

They stayed up all night on the couch quietly watching TV. Eleanor had eventually fallen asleep on his shoulder, but Jasper was too afraid to fall back asleep.

* * *

Things only worsened over the following week. Eleanor would find Jasper in random places roaming the palace in the middle of the night. Whenever she confronted him he would have a threatening and confused expression on his face. He would look as though he had just been through a severe traumatic experience. Again and again. Some nights, he wouldn't even come to bed. She had also noticed that his breath smelled like whiskey more often than not lately.

Liam walked into their room one afternoon. Eleanor was alone on her laptop.

"Len, I'm worried about Jasper," he instantly began as he walked toward a couch and sat on it. "Haven't you noticed that he's been acting a bit.. odd recently?"

"Yes," Eleanor simply replied. She didn't know how to express herself so she waited for him to continue talking.

"He hasn't been showing up most days. When I try to call him he'll snap at me and make some excuse as to why he can't work for the day. And the man looks bloody exhausted."

"Jasper hasn't been sleeping. He's been having nightmares and he refuses to talk to me about it. I haven't seen him since yesterday afternoon.."

"You're his fiancée. You can't just sit back and do nothing. He's clearly suffering, whatever is going on with him."

"What am I supposed to do?!" Eleanor involuntarily shouted at him. "The man is too stubborn to admit any faults or when he's struggling. Ever since that night at Domino's.. he's changed. I've seen his moods fluctuate like he's bloody bipolar or something."

"Jasper must have post traumatic stress disorder," Liam softly spoke trying to calm his sister down. "He killed a man, Len. That would traumatize anyone."

It took her brother to say the words for it to finally register in Eleanor's mind. Maybe she had been in some sort of denial and didn't want to face the facts herself.

"Liam." Jasper entered the room behind him. Eleanor looked up with caution at her fiancée, hoping he hadn't heard anything they were talking about.

"Hey Jasper.. how're you feeling today mate?"

"I'm fine," he slurred sitting down on the bed next to Eleanor. He looked a mess. He was wearing a suit from two days ago, his tie was loosened, his shirt was dirty, there were distinct dark circles under his eyes, and he reeked of alcohol.

Liam shot a look to Eleanor. "I'll let you two talk.." He excused himself from the room. Eleanor was pissed off at her brother for leaving him to deal with this on her own.

Jasper laid on his back on the bed. His arm was tossed over his eyes and he was mumbling something to himself.

"Where did you go last night babe?" Eleanor carefully asked, placing her laptop down beside her.

He didn't respond for a few moments.

"I'm _so_ tired," he finally muttered rubbing his face. "But I don't want to go back to that place, ever."

"What place?"

He didn't reply. He just laid there lifeless. Eleanor couldn't fight back her frustration. She was beginning to grow angry.

"Jasper, tell me what place," she sternly spoke once more.

"The basement!" he shouted at her sitting erect. "The basement, are you fucking stupid?!" His eyes were glowing in the most dangerous hue she had ever seen. It looked like a demon had entered his body and taken control of his mind. He wasn't making any sense.

Eleanor jumped looking at him with wide eyes. For the first time, she was concerned about her general safety around Jasper. She slowly emerged from their bed walking toward the door.

"Don't fucking walk away from me!" he yelled standing up. "Don't you leave me!"

Eleanor nervously grabbed for the knob behind her. "Dustin," she squeaked at her bodyguard in the hallway. He could instantly sense the fear in her voice and charged into the room.

"Mr. Frost," Dustin lightly spoke putting both of his hands up as Jasper neared him. "You need to calm down."

"You don't tell _me_ what to do," Jasper stumbled getting in his face. "I tell _you_ what to do!" he roared at him tackling Dustin to the ground. Eleanor watched in horror as Jasper punched him in the face over and over again.

"Jasper stop!" Eleanor pleaded but he wouldn't listen. Dustin's face was bloodied and he looked unconscious. "Somebody help!" she shrieked running out into the hallway. Immediately a couple other bodyguards stormed past her into the room. They pummeled Jasper to the ground ripping him off of Dustin.

"Princess, please step out of the way," one of the security detail instructed. It took three bodyguards to hold Jasper down. After physically giving up the fight, they eventually took him out of the room. As they walked out, Jasper held his head back shouting at the top of his lungs.


	15. The Newspaper Article

Eleanor lost her breath as she backed up against her wall and closed her eyes. She was absolutely devastated. Jasper's melt down was one of the most horrific things she had ever seen unfold in front of her.

"Len, what the hell is going on?" Liam burst back into her room.

Eleanor was too shocked to cry or speak. She just stood there shaking her head with her hand over her mouth.

"Did he put his hands on you?"

"No," she whispered squeezing her eyes shut again.

"Come on, we have to go.. the police are outside."

Liam led his sister down the stairs with his arm around her shoulders. She leaned most of her body weight against him feeling like the life was just taken from her.

They walked through the entrance of the palace, seeing a small group of policemen huddling around Jasper taking him into custody. An ambulance had arrived presumably for Dustin. Jasper looked to have calmed down and was cooperating with the cops.

"Excuse me sir," Liam approached one of the sheriff's.

"Your highness," the sheriff took his hat off and did a slight bow.

"Mr. Frost is my security detail. He's a good friend of mine, and my sister's.." he paused looking toward Eleanor. "..boyfriend." She quickly realized she was wearing her ring and tore it off as casually as possible.

"I understand what it may seem like right now, but he hasn't been in the proper state of mind recently. We've been really worried about him, he's very sick. If there is any way that we can avoid all of this, and simply get him the help he needs.. that is what we absolutely have to do."

The sheriff gave a solemn nod and walked toward the other deputies. Eleanor had never been more grateful to have her twin by her side. He knew the exact words to say and never let go of her.

"Well your highness, given Mr. Green's condition it is unfortunately out of our control. We will have to take Mr. Frost to the station. If you would like, the both of you could follow us there."

"Okay, we will. Thank you sir." Liam rubbed the side of Eleanor's arm as she gazed into the cop car. She could see Jasper crying again into his hands. _What has happened to my strong headed, confident, courageous man?_

Liam and Eleanor sat in silence as their limo followed the trail of cop cars. Liam's phone started ringing.

"Hello? Yes mum.. I- I know.. mum! I will explain later. Eleanor's fine. Okay. I will. Love you too." He hung up the phone glancing over to his sister. "Everything is going to be okay Len. We are going to take care of this and get him help."

"Okay," Eleanor squeaked, finally letting a tear fall from her eye.

They approached the station waiting for him to emerge from one of the cars. An officer opened up his car door and grabbed him by his arm. Stepping out of the car Jasper lost his balance and fell a few steps to the side. The officer led him inside.

"Shit," Liam hissed as he saw multiple cars full of paparazzo pull up to the scene. They had their cameras ready, snapping pictures of Jasper as he went inside.

"No," Eleanor finally spoke. "You can't go in there Liam. You are the reigning King. I will not let this tarnish your image. The media would have a field day with this one."

Liam knew that she was right, but he wanted to be there for her. "Will you call me once you gain any information? I will be waiting in the car, for however long as you need."

"Yes, I promise."

Eleanor was utterly mortified and shielded herself from the paparazzi that surrounded her like wild animals. The flashes of light blinded her as she tried to cover her face. A cop stepped in and yelled for them to back off and let her walk.

"Princess, what happened in the palace?" one of them shouted.

"Is it true that there was a brawl between the bodyguards?" another one interjected. "What's his name?"

After what felt like a mile walk, Eleanor finally made it to the entrance. Everyone inside of the station looked visibly intimidated as the Princess walked by choosing to stare at the floor. She approached the front desk, when she realized she had no idea what she was doing. She wished Liam could be by her side.

"Um- I'm here to see Jasper Frost," she softly spoke.

"He's currently in one of our cells. We received information from Prince Liam that he has been experiencing mental health issues. We have a doctor on the way. Are you willing to speak on his behalf?" A noticeably disinterested cop asked flipping a pen between his fingers.

"Yes-yes, of course."

"Can you explain to me what behavior Mr. Frost has been partaking in recently in relation to this behavior?"

She felt her cheeks blush for some unknown reason. "He has been having disturbances in his sleep almost every night for the past month. He can't sleep, and when he does he has horrible nightmares. My brother thinks he has PTSD or something."

The sheriff nodded his head writing down notes appearing as though he wasn't listening.

" _Hello_?.. Can I see him?"

Without hesitation the cop looked over to his colleague. "Let the Princess go see her _boyfriend._ "

Eleanor didn't understand why this sheriff had such a horrible attitude. If she wasn't dealing with what was at hand, she would probably bitch the cop out. But she had more important things to deal with.

Eleanor gripped onto her sweater as she followed a female cop down a long hall. The inside of the station was cold and made her uncomfortable. They turned a corner approaching a room which had a window next to it. She saw Jasper sitting across a table from someone, presumably the doctor. He was sitting with his head up against the wall and looked exhausted.

The cop took out her keys and turned the door knob. "Frost has a visitor," she spoke as the doctor looked the Princess up and down. He nodded his head allowing her to come in.

"Um, hi." Eleanor awkwardly stood before them still unsure of what she was doing. Jasper looked up at her and his eyes instantly lit up. It was the first time she had seen some life in his eyes in days. Without saying a word he stood up and walked over to her taking her into his embrace.

The doctor stood up and walked toward the door. "I'll give you a moment." He showed himself out.

They stood there in silence, Eleanor still improvising what she was going to do next. She rested her head on his chest which was heaving up and down.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered as she looked up at his face and saw a few tears streaming down it.

"Don't be. Everything is going to be okay Jasper. I'm here." She gripped onto him not wanting to ever let go. Eleanor was extremely unfamiliar with being the stable one in a situation.. or taking care of someone. But it just happened naturally for her when it came to Jasper.

The doctor promptly re-entered the room with a new officer.

"Jasper Frost," the officer spoke. "You've been released on bail."

* * *

Jasper was passed out in their bed for hours after they got back from the station. The psychiatrist had prescribed him sleeping medication. The doctor marked him as safe to return home but had strict orders to attend hour therapy sessions every other day until seen otherwise.

Eleanor hung out in Liam's room while things were still unwinding.

"Do you think this will affect his job opportunity as head security detail?" Eleanor lounged across Liam's bed staring at the ceiling. Liam was sitting on his computer chair bouncing a tennis ball back and forth off a wall.

"Probably. I'm sure all of the bodyguard's think he's absolutely mad now." Liam smirked thinking of the idea.

"Liam, this is serious. You should have seen the look in his eyes when he was offered the last week position. I think it would be really good for him. Get him back on track."

"Regardless of what the other security detail may think of him now, they aren't in charge.. but guess who _will_ be soon?" He looked over at his sister with a stupid grin on his face trying to make her smile.

Failing, Eleanor rolled her eyes and threw an arm over her face.

"Oh, Liam. I was so worried! I saw it all over the news that there was a brawl." A tall thin brunette entered the room. She had brown eyes and full lips. "That man looked like a maniac, I'm glad he's in custody."

Eleanor instantly propped herself up on her elbows and glared at Cynthia, Liam's newest girlfriend.

"You should reconsider who you talk shit about before you do it around me you twit," Eleanor snapped at her.

"Whoa, whoa." Liam had to jump in before Eleanor ripped her head off. "Cyn, that's Jasper. Eleanor's boyfriend you're speaking of. And a loyal trusted friend of mine.. he's no longer in custody. Now what are you doing here?"

"Oh-I'm sorry.. I-I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Cynthia stuttered visibly intimidated by Eleanor. She scanned his sister up and down with narrowed eyes.

"Well, I'll let you two be!" Eleanor promptly bounced off of his bed. "I'm going to go check on the _maniac_ ," she hissed walking past Cynthia without making eye contact. Liam looked up to his girlfriend and shrugged his shoulders.

Eleanor quietly entered their room. Jasper was still fast asleep under the covers with a pillow over his head. She gazed down at the engagement ring on her hand and lightly smiled playing with it between her fingers. Even after the events of today Eleanor had absolutely no regrets about saying _yes_ to Jasper. No matter what he may be going through she never once doubted her love for him. In fact, seeing such a range of emotion only made him more human to her. Laying down next to her fiancée, she decided it would be best to go to sleep early and say goodbye to this hellish day.

* * *

The next morning Jasper woke up feeling refreshed for the first time in weeks. He looked across the room at the clock which read 9:04 A.M. Everything from the day prior was murky, but he had a basic idea of everything that went down. He looked down at his knuckles which had mini cuts across them. His clothes were filthy. He had been wearing the same suit for now almost 3 days straight. Waking up from his sleepwalk state, it was hard to remember the last time he washed off.

Before walking into the bathroom he looked down at Eleanor who was peacefully asleep. She was on her back and had her left hand across her stomach. Jasper could see the ring perfectly displayed on her hand, sparkling against the suns reflection. In his eyes she looked like an angel. An angel that extended beyond her beauty. One that looked over him. One that would do for him what he would for her. He was _truly_ lucky to have her.

After showering and shaving Jasper put on a pair of clean clothes and did his hair. Looking at his reflection, he had forgotten who the man was that stared back at him. He had completely lost touch with reality over the past few weeks.

Although this seemed to be an uphill battle, he had a glimmer of hope. He was ready to begin fighting the demons in his head.

He emerged from the bathroom and was greeted by Eleanor who was still lying down on her phone. She cautiously looked over to him. Jasper felt embarrassed about his actions yesterday. Although he knew he had little control over his behavior, he would never want his fiancée to see him in that state.

"Hi handsome," she softly spoke sitting up in the bed. "How're you feeling?"

Jasper couldn't hold back a smile as he walked to the bed and sat next to her.

"It feels so good to see you smile again.. and shaved," Eleanor noted.

"Trust me, it feels good for me as well. How long did I sleep yesterday?"

"Cumulatively? Upwards of 18 hours straight."

"Those must be strong pills. I don't remember a single dream." Jasper rubbed his face with his hands and rested his head on his arm. "I'm scared, Eleanor."

It was the first time she had heard him be vulnerable about the topic. She wanted to ask so many questions, but she played it smart and waited for him to talk.

"I felt like I was trapped in my body. It's like something was controlling me.. something _is_ controlling me. I was just fortunate enough to finally get some sleep in me.." His eyes wandered around the room as he talked.

"Well, what time do you see your therapist today?"

"Therapist?" Jasper looked confused.

"...Yes babe. That was the deal. You have to go every other day until you show progress. And I think it's for the best."

"I don't like the idea of that. I'm not weak." His pride started to get the best of him as it usually did.

"It does _not_ mean you're weak if you're helping yourself. It means that you are _strong_." Eleanor was genuinely shocked by her strength as she spoke. If only she had taken this advice from herself months ago..

Jasper checked his phone which looked like it had essentially been run over. God knows what happened to that poor cell over the past few days. He pensively read through some text messages and then listened to a few voicemails as Eleanor waited.

"Dr. Holt's office at noon," he sighed tossing his phone to the side. Without hesitation he put his head in Eleanor's lap wrapping his arms around her body. He held her in a tight embrace nuzzling his face against her tummy. Within a matter of minutes he fell asleep again and Eleanor decided to leave him be while she scrolled through her phone some more.

* * *

"You must be Jasper," a blonde curvy woman in her forties extended her arm out toward him. She had a very pretty face and held a warm and welcoming expression. "I'm Dr. Holt."

"Yes, nice to meet you," he shook her hand hesitatingly. He sat down on a brown couch across from her. He instantly looked over at the box of tissues on the table next to him which made his stomach turn. The whole interior of the room read _therapist_.

"Now I understand you have been having nightmares, is that right?"

"Yes."

"And when did these begin Jasper?"

"I'm not too sure." He noticed he was tightening his jaw and couldn't relax it.

The doctor went on to ask him general questions about himself and his past, but Jasper was not being very receptive.

"I know that therapy can be a bit intimidating at first, but it will get easier over time," Dr. Holt held a friendly smile on her face.

"What if I simply don't believe in it," he snapped back.

"From what I'm told, you've been having nightmares about a traumatic experience while you were on duty. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Jasper in order for you to overcome these nightmares it will take hard work. This is something you cannot avoid. It will haunt you so long as you run from it. And from the events that happened yesterday, I can confidently say that your issues have consumed you. If you let this continue to run your life, what will be left of you?"

Jasper was taken aback by her words. The previously over friendly therapist had just put him in his place. He let her continue.

"You most definitely show signs of PTSD, do you know what that is?"

"Yes. But I never went to war. I'm not a veteran. I don't have PTSD."

"I could make an educated guess that you let your stubbornness get in the way quite often in your life. But that will be saved for another session." Dr. Holt straightened up in her seat crossing her legs. "Jasper, I am the doctor in this room. I was trained to identify mental illness' and how to diagnose them. Just as you were trained as a bodyguard and probably know more about surveillance cameras than I do."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I'm not trying to discredit you, Dr. Holt. I don't doubt that you help many of your patients, but I simply don't have a mental illness and I certainly don't have PTSD. I'm just having nightmares that are getting a little.. aggravating." He knew the words that were coming out of his mouth were less than true, but he didn't want to succumb to the image that she was portraying of him.

Dr. Holt paused and stared Jasper down for a few seconds.

"It's not your fault, you know," she finally spoke.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's not your fault that you went through that traumatizing experience. It's not your fault for having these nightmares. And it's not your fault for losing sleep which is affecting you psychologically." She moved her body closer to him. "But are you ready for these nightmares to stop? Are you ready to end sleepless nights? Or are you going to be too stubborn to help yourself, and let this win?"

Jasper gripped his fists looking away from her. He felt his heart beat escalating in his chest and sweat forming on his forehead.

"No, I won't let it win." He had to push the words out with all of his inner strength.

"Then let's get to work."

* * *

Back at the palace Eleanor was decorating Nina's new room with toys she had delivered for her. She and James would be moving in tomorrow morning. Eleanor pulled out a doll house that had way more instructions than she was prepared for. She practically never built or put anything together in her life.

A bunch of pieces sprayed across the floor as she attempted to put one pink piece together which looked like it should conjoin with another. Nothing was working. She threw down the pieces in frustration.

"What type of genius child knows how to put this _shit_ together?" Eleanor shouted throwing more parts onto the floor.

"Um, that would be most kids, baby." Jasper made her jump as usual walking unexpectedly through the bedroom door behind her.

"Back to yourself I see. Scaring the shit out of me every chance you get," Eleanor hissed looking up at him.

Jasper smirked. He looked around the room that Eleanor had specially designed for young Nina. There was pink wallpaper with glitter lining that coated the walls. A small pink bed with a tapestry, similar to their one in Fiji, that laid over it. A plethora of stuffed animals, mostly horses. And of course the non assembled dollhouse that was in shambles across the floor.

"Wait, did _you_ really help design this Len? I'm shocked."

"Why?" Eleanor straightened her posture and raised an eyebrow.

"It's- it's just not the colors I would think you would choose. But it looks amazing." Jasper sat down on the floor next to her.

"Thank you, I thought I did a good job of instructing the proper room for Nina. Made for a.. mini Princess." Eleanor smiled which made Jasper's heart feel warm.

He gave her a long, hard kiss giving her butterflies in her stomach. She had missed his touch for so long. Eleanor turned her hips toward him wrapping her legs across his lap. She grabbed onto his face with her hands and deepened the kiss, intertwining their tongues.

"I've missed you so much," Eleanor whispered.

"I've missed you too baby," Jasper breathed against her lips and furthering his face from hers. "I've got to say, it is _extremely_ sexy to see how much you care for Nina. You will make an amazing mother."

"Whoa- whoa. Calm down now. Let's make it to the altar first," she blushed biting her lip. Eleanor thought she would never receive such a compliment. Herself? A good mother?

"How did therapy go?"

"Honestly? She kind of kicked my ass," he replied wiping his face smearing his nose.

"Good." Eleanor folded her arms. "I'm glad I'm not the only one around here who has to do that."

"She thinks I have PTSD and mental health issues. I don't like that idea. That _isn't_ me Len." He sincerely stared into her eyes.

"It's not _who_ you are, Jasper. It's just simply something you're dealing with. And that's okay. Do you understand that?"

He solemnly nodded his head looking at the ground.

"You can't _always_ be the knight in shining armor. You have your own demons just as much as I do.. it's what makes us human. And besides, no matter what condition you are in, you will always be _my_ knight in shining armor. Nothing can change that," she smiled lifting his chin.

"And that's why I am so confident in the man that I'm marrying. I don't know where I would be if I never met you. I haven't had a hit of ecstasy or a bump of blow since I can remember.. I've just been _normal._ Like everyone else.. I guess true love can really change you."

"I think I could agree with that. If I hadn't met you I would probably still be running around with Samantha doing-"

"Okay- don't ruin the romantic moment here, bodyguard," Eleanor interjected putting her hands on his face again. "Just know that I will always be here for you. You may have bloodied up and scared away my newest security detail.. and quite honestly scared the hell out of me yesterday. But as you had to tell me during my times of struggle.. I will _never_ give up on you Jasper. _Never_."

After helping her assemble the dollhouse, she took him by the hands and led him back to their room. On the way, they passed a few bodyguards who clearly avoided Jasper's eye contact.

The second they entered the room Eleanor led him to the bed and pulled his t-shirt from over his head. They began to kiss as he slipped off her tank top and slid down her skirt. This left her in her lingerie, which happened to be bright pink today.

"Wow," Jasper breathed looking her up and down. "I've missed your body _so_ goddamn much."

Eleanor didn't reply as she slipped his pants off and laid on top of him. As she slowed down their kissing, she lightly grinded onto his erection. He grabbed onto her ass and flipped her around. Jasper assertively ripped her bra off kissing her chest everywhere. She could tell by his pace that he was in one of his more aggressive moods.

"Slow down," she whispered lightly pushing him back. "I want to make _love_ to you right now. I want to take our time." Eleanor delicately wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought him into her embrace, her bare chest against his. It was the closest they had been in weeks and she wanted to enjoy every second of it. Eleanor finally had her fiancée back.

After showering they returned to their bed. They were drained from more than an hour of heated and long overdue sex. Jasper held her left hand in his playing with her ring. He kissed it before leaning his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes.

"Babe," Eleanor softly spoke. "Are you sure you don't want to take a sleeping pill.. just in case?"

"No, I won't need it."

Rolling her eyes at his stubbornness, she turned the lamp off and gave him a kiss before closing her eyes.

* * *

Jasper was waiting in a dark alley way. Pistol in hand, he waited in the crevice of one of the walls. Crouching at his knees, he waited to see a woman walk by with her children. He screamed at the mother to freeze. He instantly stood up and shot all three of them in the head without a hint of grief.

Jasper woke up drenched in sweat yelling at the top of his lungs. Eleanor instantly sat up and grabbed onto his arms from behind. She felt as though she had only been half asleep the whole night, intuitively waiting for this to happen.

"It's okay baby..it's okay," she soothingly spoke. Her heart was racing. She rubbed his bare back which was drenched in sweat per usual. Her eyes darted around the dark room not knowing what to expect next.

He ripped out of her grasp and went to the bathroom splashing water on his face as he religiously did in this situation. By the time Eleanor walked up behind him, she saw him with his hands on the counter looking straight down. The water was still running. He looked much calmer than she had seen in the past, but was still afraid of what would happen next.

Jasper stared at himself in the mirror wiping the water off of his face and turned the faucet off. He glanced at Eleanor in the reflection. Luckily, she could see that he didn't have the dangerous look in his eyes. He looked like he was still present and cognizant.

"Here, take these.. please," Eleanor shook a bottle of the sleeping pills having a couple fall out into her hand. He put the lid down on the toilet seat and sat on it with his head in his hands. She offered him a water bottle with the medication in hand. Without resisting he extended his hand and accepted the pills.

Eleanor was relieved to see that he was finally willing to give in and surrender to the situation. She took a wet wash cloth and rubbed it around his sweaty neck and shoulders. He didn't say a word but his eyes told her thank you.

Leading him back to the bed she propped him up a pillow and helped him lay down. She left the lamp on and turned the TV on for him to watch. He remained silent with his eyes glued to the television. Eleanor grabbed onto Jasper's hand putting her head on his shoulder, lightly tracing the inside of his arm.

She woke up a few hours later to the television still lighting up their bedroom. Jasper had luckily fallen back asleep as well still propped up on the pillow. Eleanor helped him comfortably lay back down under the covers and kissed him on the forehead before turning the lamp and TV off.

* * *

The following morning there was a knock on the bedroom door. A body guard she had never seen walked in cautiously. Maybe he was yet _another_ replacement.

"Your highness, James Hill is here to see you."

"Oh, um thank you. Tell him I will be right down." Eleanor yawned rubbing her eyes. Losing a bit of sleep the night before herself, she felt extra tired today.

Jasper was still sound asleep next to her and she decided to not wake him. Liam graciously gave him the week off to recover and get back on track. So in Eleanor's eyes she didn't care how much he slept or lied around. Anything to prevent him turning back into the zombie he was a few days ago.

Eleanor slipped on a pair of black leggings and a baggy white tank top. She decided to ditch the makeup for today. Seeing James and Nina standing at the base of the staircase made all of her problems feel washed away. James stood with a cane and was slightly hunched over, but she was just happy to see him standing. Nina held onto his other hand with a huge smile on her face.

One of the security detail shook James' hand telling him he was honored to have him back and then waved to little Nina.

"Len!" Nina squeaked as she approached her. She ran up to her legs and squeezed them.

"It seems like you've made a new friend, Princess." James smiled with a twinkle in his eye.

"Can I give you a hug?" Eleanor beamed cautiously looking him up and down.

"A light one, yes of course."

Eleanor showed them first to James' new room. It was on the first floor so he wouldn't have to walk very far to get around. The room was easily twice the size of his old one that the bodyguards reside in. There was a king sized bed with dark blue bedding. The walls were painted a light beige and there was a large window next to a dresser.

James looked around amazed. He was truly speechless. A tear rolled down his eye as he approached a chair, slowly having a seat.

"Daddy, why are you crying?" Nina asked concerned.

"It's okay sweetheart. These are happy tears. We are very lucky." He looked up to Eleanor and grabbed onto her hand. "I don't know how to thank you enough Eleanor."

"Don't thank me.. you're family James."

"What is _this_?" James gazed down at her hand in his. Her black onyx ring sparkled as he turned her fingers to the side. "Frost?"

"Yes," Eleanor beamed. "We're keeping it a secret for now. We have quite a lot to discuss James. He has been going through a lot recently.. and he's asleep right now."

"Well, having you by his side will help him with whatever he's going through I would bet. He has always loved you so. Since the moment I met him at that yacht party.. I allowed him to take over and watch over you. Even though you were with another man at the time I believe."

"Ah, yes.. Beck."

"Jasper wouldn't let you out of his sight."

"Yes, he did have the tendency to stalk me. Not one of his more flattering qualities."

"Love makes you do crazy things, Princess." James smiled.

"Can I see _my_ room now?!" Nina interjected.

"Yes! Let's go!" Eleanor laughed leaning down toward Nina.

"Oh boy!" she shouted running out of the room before them. James chuckled.

"You can stay here and rest, we'll be right back," Eleanor assured him before following her out.

Nina squealed once they entered her new room. She ran in circles taking in her surroundings. Taking out various amounts of toys she was overwhelmed with joy.

"Nina, this is Lucy," Eleanor spoke as a chubby woman in her 60's walked into the room. She had grey hair and thick circular glasses. "She is your new nanny. Whenever you need anything, or just someone to play with if your daddy or I can't. She's a very lovely woman. I've known her since she was my brother's and my nanny as well!"

"Hi Nina," Lucy crouched down next to her and gave her a big friendly grin.

"Hi! Do you wanna play with my new dollhouse?"

Eleanor smiled remembering how long it took her and Jasper to assemble the damn thing. Lucy and Nina looked like they were going to be great friends. Knowing she was in good hands, she walked back into James' room.

He was still in his seat on his phone. She updated him on everything to the best of her ability. The vacation, the engagement, the nightmares.. James was extremely happy for the couple but also said he would do his best in looking out for Jasper. After getting him settled in she excused herself to go check on her fiancée.

* * *

Jasper was watching television when she came back to their room. He was lying in bed looking like he hadn't moved much the whole morning.

"Hey babe, what're you watching?" Eleanor strutted into the room closely eyeing him.

"The soccer game. Where were you?"

"James and Nina are here. James says hi and sends his love. And he loves my ring," she smirked flashing it in front of his face.

Jasper lightly smiled.

"Any more dreams after taking the meds?"

"No."

Eleanor could instantly tell he didn't want to talk about it per usual. It was already 1:00 P.M. and Jasper was still visibly un-showered with his shirt off under the covers. She lied on her stomach on the bed facing him. Jasper didn't break his gaze from the TV. She analyzed his face. He didn't look angry or unbalanced which was reassuring. He did however look extremely sad. He looked depressed.

Nearing her face closer to his, Eleanor forced him to look into her eyes.

"Can I get you anything to eat?"

"No thank you. I'm not very hungry."

"Maybe some tea. I'll be right back." Eleanor hopped off the bed and turned toward her door. Her mother burst through it before she could leave holding a newspaper in her hand.

Helena glanced over at Jasper who instinctively pulled the covers over his bare chest. He looked back over to the TV.

"What the _hell_ is this?" the Queen hissed slamming the paper into her daughter's hand. "Front page."

Eleanor gazed down at a picture of Jasper that was captured when he was in custody being taken into the police station. Next to it was a shot of herself shielding her eyes walking into the station that was taken shortly thereafter.

 _'Princess Eleanor engaged to marry deranged bodyguard. The bodyguard by the name of Jasper was taken into custody Tuesday morning after attacking an innocent bystander in the royal palace. A source close to the royal family confirms that the proposal took place while on vacation in Fiji. Has the Princess finally gone too far this time, planning to marry the help? Nonetheless a potentially dangerous and unhinged man? Will this be a threat to the monarchy?'_

Eleanor's jaw dropped as she read the newspaper article. She involuntarily slapped her forehead with the paper.

"You said you would keep this a secret for now. Clearly things haven't changed with you Eleanor. Always having to outshine your family, your brother, and do whatever you can to make it to the front page." Helena stood with her arms crossed.

"How dare you? I would never sell this story to the press. Why would I.. especially in _this_ scenario?!" Eleanor's voice was hoarse as she shouted at her mother. She couldn't believe she would accuse her of such a thing. Someone had clearly set her up.

"Then who would, daughter? Everyone is sworn to secrecy in this palace."

Eleanor was speechless. She peered over to Jasper who looked extremely confused however uninterested.

"You _will_ fix this, do you understand me? I won't let _this_ situation," Helena gestured toward Jasper, "impair this family's image any further."

Before Eleanor could reply her mother turned around and slammed the door behind her.


	16. The Snitch

**A/N: So, I felt the need to explain the psychological twists in the story thus far. I am working toward my masters degree in psychology at the moment. Every 'mental hardship' that I write including my favorite characters are based off of real events I've either experienced or seen. I've personally suffered with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. Mental health issues can affect your life on a day to day basis if you are suffering. (My notion of what our personal 'demons' are.) However, it's incredibly refreshing to write and integrate real symptoms into my stories.. Extremely therapeutic! Anyways, happy reading as always.**

* * *

"Where is she?" Eleanor burst through Liam's bedroom doors. He was playing his favorite racing video game sitting on his computer chair with his legs kicked up on his bed.

"Where's who?" Liam took his headset off.

"That bitch of a girlfriend of yours. She wagged her big mouth to the press about our engagement, and now _mum_ is up my ass once again," his sister spoke through gritted teeth.

"Len, I don't know what you're talking about.. Cynthia doesn't know about it." He stared up at her as though she was crazy.

"Don't you defend her! She's the only bloody outsider whose been in this palace recently. Who else would have done it, _Nina?_ "

They bickered back and forth until Eleanor felt like she was about to slap her brother. _How dare he choose that girl's side over hers. He barely even knew her._

"She's a good girl, Eleanor. There's no reason for her to do something like that."

"Other than the fact that we've hated each other ever since the moment we met. I've got my eye on her.. and don't you _dare_ come running back to me when she trips you on the way to the throne you little shit!" Eleanor hollered before slamming his bedroom door after her.

Having to calm herself down Eleanor took a few deep breaths before going back into her bedroom. Jasper was asleep again with the television on. It was well past 2 o'clock now. She brushed it off as him still catching up with sleep.

Jasper hadn't reacted much after Helena left their room earlier. Eleanor didn't show him the actual article.. that was the last thing he needed to see. Himself in custody, in the press, being portrayed as a total psycho. She loathed the media. Ever since she could remember they pestered and followed her around like a pack of wild animals trying to depict her in the worst way possible.

Eleanor had plans to grab lunch with her old friend Imogen today. Imogen was the only girl who she actually trusted and had a deep friendship with. She originally met her when she visited a rehab a couple years back. The last time she saw her, Eleanor had defended Imogen from an abusive boyfriend who controlled every move she made. Her boyfriend scared both of the girls eventually trapping them into a bathroom. But of course, Jasper was there to save the day once things got out of hand.

Eleanor was excited to inform Imogen of the proposal, and the crazy love story that her and Jasper have been on. Walking next to the bed she took the remote from Jasper's hand and turned the television off. She helped adjust his pillow so he wasn't laying so awkwardly and pulled the covers up over his chest.

After hopping in the shower Eleanor threw on a simple navy blue dress and a long necklace with a large emerald at the end. She did her makeup and straightened her hair. Before leaving, she closed the blinds and gave Jasper a kiss on the forehead. He was completely knocked out.

Arriving at the restaurant, Eleanor consciously put her engagement ring safely away in her purse. She knew from experience that once the paparazzi got a tip, they would presumably be at the restaurant within minutes. Especially with the most recent "news" regarding the Princess. Her newest replacement bodyguard, Randy, opened up the door for her.

"Lenny!" Imogen squealed running toward her. She gave her a big squeeze making Eleanor grin. It had been too long since they had been together.

They sat down inside since the paparazzi aren't allowed inside of an establishment. After the waiter dropped waters on the table he introduced himself and read them today's specials.

"Would you mind if I have a drink?" Eleanor cautiously asked with an innocent smile. "It's been a long, _long_ week."

"Of course not. I want to hear _all_ about it." Imogen smiled taking a sip of her water.

Eleanor covered everything to the best of her abilities. She started at the disaster of a King's Cup, and onto Liam's kidnapping, and then went onto her vacation with Jasper.

"It was simply the most relaxing, breathtaking trip I have ever been on. And that's saying a lot," Eleanor winked taking a sip of her bloody mary.

"I could only imagine."

"And then this sort of happened.." Eleanor cautiously looked around the restaurant before handing Imogen her purse gesturing for her to look inside of it. She gawked at the sparkling ring standing out like a sore thumb in the purse.

"Oh my-!" Imogen shouted covering her mouth.

"Shh! Shh.." Eleanor giggled looking back around. "The media is already onto something. My stupid brother's girlfriend leaked it to the press."

"Well that's shitty.. but _wow,_ that is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." Imogen gazed into her purse one more time before giving it back to her.

"So you must really love him," Imogen continued.

Eleanor rolled her eyes sitting back into her seat with her arms crossed. "The man drives me bloody crazy. He's put me through hell and back, and yet.. I can't get enough of the wanker. He curbs the out of control side of me.. and the sex is unlike anything I've ever-" she paused beginning to blush. "Sorry, I'll stop there. But _yes_ I fucking love him and I won't deny it any longer."

Imogen gave a giddy giggle setting her elbows onto the table. "I couldn't be happier for you, Len. You deserve nothing but the best."

Their food arrived. Imogen had a turkey club sandwich while Eleanor chose a wedge salad.

"When will the wedding be?"

"Well- that's one of the reasons I reached out to you today." Eleanor picked at her salad. "If you are up to it, I would love for you to be my maid of honor."

Imogen almost choked from excitement, covering her mouth.

"Really, Len? That would be such an honor.."

"You're the only true friend that I have Imogen.. other than my 50 or so year old male bodyguard who I don't think would look nearly as pretty in a dress. I would love to have you by my side on my big day." Eleanor couldn't hold back a smile.

"And besides," she continued. "I need someone to help me plan this bloody thing.. I don't do well with partaking in _girly_ activities.. or planning anything for fucks sake."

Imogen couldn't hold back another giggle. "Of course Len. I can't wait."

After a couple more bloody mary's Eleanor returned back to the palace. It was around 5 P.M. Helena glared at her as she passed her. Eleanor spun on her toes to face her. She wanted to shout at her mother and put her in her place. But she couldn't find the words.

Walking back up to her room she passed Liam's room hearing Cynthia giggling. She let out a loud groan rolling her eyes. _How could he be so stupid as to fall for this moron?_

Eleanor walked in to her bedroom hearing the sound of the television still on. Jasper looked as though he was fixed in the same position since this morning. He still had his shirt off, his hair was still a mess, and most prominently, he looked absolutely drained. It was as though she was staring at the ghost of Jasper before her.. not her actual fiancée.

She set her purse down trying to be as casual as possible. He didn't say a word. Nearing the bed, she stood over him.

"Jasper, you can't just lay in bed all day. Have you even moved?"

He didn't reply.

"I think you've gotten enough rest to compensate for your lack of sleep.. you must be feeling better by now," she ordered throwing her hand on her hip.

"Don't tell me how I'm feeling Eleanor," he snapped not moving his gaze from the TV.

"Jasper, I-I just want to help you. I'm worried.." Eleanor stuttered feeling a wave of confusion and concern.

"Well I don't need your help, or your pity.. and quite frankly I'm not in the mood for your shit."

"Fine," she retaliated throwing on a sweater. "If you're going to be like this, I will not have any part of it. I'm going out."

Jasper was simply unfazed.. which pissed off Eleanor even further. She turned around picking up her purse and stormed out of their bedroom.

* * *

With Randy's guidance, Eleanor stumbled back into the palace. She took one too many vodka shots at the club as usual. She could always pace herself with the first few drinks but once she was buzzed there was no stopping her.

The club scene was usually a sure bet to pick up Eleanor's mood. This was quite the exception. Her only mission was to get drunk and try to avoid Jasper's problems as she always did.

Walking back into their room around 10 P.M., Jasper was already unconscious asleep in their bed. The deep level of snoring that she heard made it pretty apparent that he was sleeping soundly. She accidentally stumbled into one of the mini tables knocking a flower vase over. It made a loud crashing sound. Jasper didn't budge.

" _Shit_ ," she hissed trying her best to drunkenly pick the mess up.

Eleanor was evidently awake, drunk, and not ready to fall asleep just yet. She decided to wander around the palace. Passing her brother's room she stopped dead in her tracks. She once again heard both of their voices.

Eleanor pressed her ear against the door trying to hear what they were saying.

"... _down at the kitchen_ ," she made out Liam saying.

" _That sounds good, I'm hungry,"_ Cynthia replied.

Hearing their footsteps, Eleanor pranced around the side of the hall. She heard them open his door and walk down the hall toward the staircase.

She couldn't stop herself. Eleanor was on a mission to expose the bitch for who she truly was. Before glancing once more around herself, she wobbled into Liam's room. Her eyes scanned the room looking for any proof.

 _Ah, her cell phone. This will do._

Eleanor sat on the floor next to Cynthia's phone which was charging. She pulled up her list of text messages and recent phone calls on the cell. Nothing popped out to her. Nothing was mentioned about the Princess.. or Jasper.. or even Liam for that matter.

" _Bloody hell_ ," Eleanor muttered under her breath. _The bitch deleted all of her evidence._ She scrolled through Cynthia's facebook and other sources of social media, getting distracted with how fake she looked in each photo.

Suddenly within minutes of her being in the room, the door swung back open.

"Eleanor, what the _fuck_ are you doing?" Liam seethed approaching her. _Oh shit._

"I uh- um.." she looked up at her brother. She knew she was caught red handed. "Sorry?" Eleanor gave a stupid half smile handing Cynthia's phone back into her hand who was holding a bag of chips in her other hand.

"You're goddamn drunk again, I can see it in your eyes!" Liam yelled at her getting in his sister's face.

Eleanor was slightly guilty, but she was too buzzed to feel the full effects of guilt at the moment. In fact, she reacted in the opposite manner and began to snicker.

"You think this a joke, do you?" Liam grabbed her by the arms making her stand up.

"Why did you have my phone? You're absolutely crazy," Cynthia sighed behind him tossing her cell onto his bed.

Eleanor broke free of her brother's grasp and got in her face.

"Am I crazy, Cynthia? In my opinion I would be _completely_ crazy to believe that your pathetic excuse of an act as my brother's girlfriend was believable. _You_ sold that story to the press, you little bitch." Eleanor shoved Cynthia into a corner.

Cynthia instantly starting tearing up. She gave one look at Liam who was stunned, fixed in his position. She covered her face with her hands loudly sobbing as she ran out of his room.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Liam grabbed Eleanor by the arm again leading her back to her bedroom. "Get to bed you lunatic." He slammed the door before nudging her into the dark room. She unintentionally fell onto the floor.

* * *

Jasper let out a loud snort jolting Eleanor's eyelids open. She was still on the floor where she had left off the night before. Eleanor let out a whimper as she shielded the sunlight from her eyes. She forgot what it felt like to be thoroughly hung over. She could hear Jasper get out of their bed and walk into the bathroom.

Eleanor remained on her back on the floor with both of her arms crossed over her face. She felt like a train had run her over.

"Where are you going?" she grunted peering through her fingers. She saw Jasper throwing on a sweatshirt.

"Therapy." He extended his hands to help her stand up. She stumbled losing her balance as he had to catch her. "You smell like the inside of a vodka bottle."

Jasper led her to the bed with a stern expression on his face before leaving the room.

* * *

"How have the last couple of days been since we last met?" Dr. Holt bit on the end of her pen as she peered into Jasper's eyes.

"Fine I guess.. I've been sleeping a lot." He rubbed his eyes and involuntarily yawned.

"Mhmm.. and how're things with your fiancée?"

"I don't know. She's dealing with her psychotic family as usual. I knew what I was getting into when I proposed.. but it doesn't make things any easier." Jasper was quickly concerned with the level of vulnerability he was displaying.

"I know that you love her deeply. But do you ever get worried that she threatens your over all stability?"

Jasper's stare burned through her, not speaking a single word.

"Right," Dr. Holt continued, catching the hint from her patient. "If you don't mind, I would like to move onto your nightmares.. if that's okay with you Jasper."

"Sure."

"This is called exposure therapy. I'm going to need you to walk me through every detail of the dream that you can remember. I warn you that this will be extremely nerve-wracking. Just let me know if you need a break."

Jasper subconsciously rolled his eyes at his doctor _. I can speak about a goddamn dream without wetting my panties over it._

"What is the usual setting?" Dr. Holt began.

"Usually, in a basement."

"Is there any significance to that?.. Did any events occur in a basement?"

"Yes." Jasper barely knew the woman.. this doctor. Yet he felt an overwhelming feeling of submission.

"Walk me through the basement."

"I.. I see Eleanor. She's terrified. And then I see her brother, Liam. I am his security detail. He's one of my best friends." Jasper stopped as he felt a knot in his throat form. He was _not_ going to let his emotions get the best of him. Especially not _now,_ of all times.

"What happens next?"

"My comrade James get shot. He's an extremely noble.. loyal man.. and he gets _fucking_ shot," Jasper softly spoke as he felt the tears forming in his eyes. He fought them back.

"And what do you do about it?" Dr. Holt asked visibly apprehensive.

"I fucking _kill_ that son of a bitch." Jasper's eyes turned a darker blue, something that his psychologist naturally didn't understand on a deeper level. He felt his heart rate rise as he clenched his fists.

"You kill who, Jasper?"

"I don't know. All I know is that he is the leader of some fucked up organization formed in resentment of the royal family." Jasper couldn't control his bodily functions as he dropped his head into his hands. "He had a daughter."

"Can I get you some water?"

"Yes- yes please." He couldn't feel either of his hands. His chest started to hurt. His breathing was short and he felt like he was gasping for air with every breath. The sweat on his forehead had turned into droplets.

"I think we should stop for today," Dr. Holt soothingly spoke as she gazed at Jasper with concern. "You have made immense progress.. even within two days. Don't give up Jasper, I believe in you. You will conquer this."

* * *

Jasper entered their bedroom. Eleanor was fixated on the television watching some show about amateur fashion designers. She hadn't changed out of her outfit from the night before and her makeup was smudged.

"How- how'd it go babe?" she stuttered trying to hide the fact that she was still drunk from the night before.

Jasper peered at her before walking into the bathroom and turning the shower on.

 _Why is the man so goddamn mysterious and stubborn.. even as my fiancée?_

Eleanor heard her phone buzz. She flung her arm across the bed trying to reach it. An unknown number texted her:

 _"It's amazing that you and your fiancée believe you can get away with your actions.. simply due to the fact that you are royalty. Well I beg to differ."_

Eleanor instantly sobered up. She sat up against the headboard of the bed re-reading the message over and over again. Memories of last night crowded her mind as she grasped her head in her hands. Was it Cynthia? Was it one of the asshole policemen at the station?

Jasper emerged from the steamy bathroom with a towel hanging around his hips, magically erasing all of her concerning thoughts as usual.

"What's wrong with you," Jasper spoke more as a statement and not as a question.

Eleanor loathed seeing his close to naked body whenever they were unsettled. It literally impaired her. "Nothing to your concern," she replied putting her brave face on and drawing her eyes back to her phone.

* * *

A few days passed. Through therapy and medication, Jasper was slowly improving. The sedatives helped him sleep at night and his therapist did wonders for the rest of his issues whether he liked to admit it or not. She diagnosed him with depression along with the PTSD. The sleeping spells and agitation were sure symptoms. Jasper did absolutely everything in his power to prove to himself that he wasn't _depressed_. That was even worse than recovery from being traumatized in his perspective.

Cyrus was in the hospital. The doctors told the family that he only had days to live. Eleanor, Liam, and Helena frequented Cyrus' bedside although the twins currently had immense differences between each other. For all of the times that Eleanor wished he would drop dead, she felt extremely sorrowful watching her uncle die right before her eyes. And Liam was no doubt terrified to take over the thrown, no matter how many times he tried to convince himself that he was ready.

Back at the palace Jasper was on his second day of the new position as head security of detail. As the reigning King, Liam took over since Cyrus was no longer adequate to make executive decisions. Liam made sure Jasper was granted the position. He knew his future brother-in-law deserved it.. regardless of what he thought of his sister at the moment.

Jasper put his suit on with a matching black tie. Looking into the mirror he put his ear piece in place. He delicately kissed Eleanor on the lips who was still fast asleep. It was only 5 A.M.

Eleanor woke up a few hours later overjoyed. The day ahead of her was sure to be one of the best days of her life. Imogen was going to come to the palace and help Eleanor pick a date, venue, and hopefully a dress if they had time for the royal wedding.

"Princess, you have a visitor," Randy spoke from outside of their room.

"Yes, come in." Eleanor spoke with her voice elevated a few more octaves than normal.

She looked at herself in the mirror brushing her hair and put it into a pony tail. With minimalist makeup on, aside from eyeliner, her eyes lit up her face. She had on a cute purple skirt with a loose black tank top to match.

"Imogen, I believe I thought of a good date for our nuptials. October 15th. It will be a good while away from Liam's coronation, respectively, and give us enough time to sort everything out," Eleanor spoke with her back turned toward the door.

"Why, that's rather close to my birthday." She heard a familiar masculine voice speak from behind her.

"Dustin," Eleanor cautiously spoke turning around. "What're you doing here.. why are you in my room?"

She observed the visible damage on his face that remained from Jasper's fists. He walked toward her in a manner that made her extremely uncomfortable. He was entirely too calm.

"I just thought I would stop by and check on my _favorite_ Princess," Dustin delicately spoke looking around her room. He slicked back his hair with his hands.

Eleanor didn't move. She looked at her bedroom doors which were shut. She began to panic. Something wasn't right.

"Your fiancée did quite a number on me. He humiliated me. The press destroyed me as the bodyguard who was savagely beat up," he whispered. _Well, you were.._ She played it smart and didn't talk back.

"I wonder how your 'secret' got out there, anyways.. How could the Princess marry such a deranged man? Wouldn't this be a disgrace to her royal family?"

And then it clicked. It was _him._ Eleanor looked down at her hand. She quickly trembled instinctively trying to take her engagement ring off.

"Look, Jasper's office is down the hall.. if you want to talk to him, then go-"

"No, no, no," Dustin quickly cut her off striding closer to her and putting his index finger over her lips. "I don't want Jasper. I actually want what he _has_." He looked her up and down biting his lower lip.

"Dustin, this is _not_ what you want to do," Eleanor's voice grew hoarse. She could feel her heart in her throat. He put one hand on her hip and the other on the side of her face.

"Oh, this is _exactly_ what I want. Since the second saw you, I knew you wanted me." As he spoke a million thoughts ran through her mind. But she couldn't move. She was scared straight.

"The cat's out of the bag, Princess. You may be engaged to marry, but that doesn't mean your body is off limits.. You've always been a little whore deep down." Dustin winked, vigorously grabbing her into his embrace. "So just do what your body wants and give into me." He began forcefully kissing her.

Eleanor tried to fight him off with all of her strength. He pushed her up against the bedroom wall hiking up her skirt. She felt warm tears stream down her face. Dustin pinned both of her hands above her head. She was absolutely helpless. As he inched her shirt off exposing her breasts, Imogen burst through her doors. Eleanor desperately looked toward her friend with mascara stained eyes. The Princess had never been more terrified in her life.

"Oh my- Guards!" Imogen shouted. Dustin let go of Eleanor's hands as she instinctively covered her chest with them.

Randy burst through the door already holding a gun.

"Back away from the Princess! Get down on the ground!" he shouted as Dustin slowly put his hands in the air. He had a sick smile on his face that made Eleanor's stomach churn. He lowered onto his knees still facing her.

Jasper ran into the room within a matter of seconds. A couple of bodyguards followed. He must have heard the chaos from down the hall. His eyes quickly scanned Eleanor's body up and down before setting onto Dustin. She furiously tried to pull her tank top back onto her shoulders before anyone else had to see her almost half naked. She was already so embarrassed.

It had been a while since Eleanor saw the prominent dangerous look in Jasper's eyes. He stood for a moment in silence while the wheels visibly turned in his head.

"Lower your weapon, Bryant," Jasper demanded as Randy complied.

"What should we do with him, boss?" one of the bodyguards spoke. Jasper didn't reply.

He calmly walked up behind Dustin and suddenly grabbed onto a chunk of his hair pulling it to make him stand up.

"If you ever come near this palace or my fiancée again, I will break every bone in your body. You think it was bad last time?" Jasper had an evil smirk on his face. "I'll have you _begging_ to end your life with the amount of pain you will be in."

With that, Jasper swiftly punched him in the stomach with all of his force making Dustin collapse to the ground.

"Take him away," he growled as the bodyguards swarmed forcing him to stand up and put him in custody.


	17. The Coronation

**A/N: I'm going to be wrapping up the story within the next couple chapters. I think I know how I'm gonna end it.. I think? Happy reading.**

* * *

A week passed. Eleanor was still recovering from what had happened to her. How far it _could_ have gone if Imogen hadn't walked in. Jasper immediately fired Randy out of blind rage for not "properly" securing the Princess. She felt bad for him. It wasn't her short-term bodyguard's fault for not knowing whether Dustin would force himself on her. Eleanor wondered if Jasper would ever be content with any bodyguard for her. No one could protect her on the same level that _he_ could. She was ready for James to be well enough to take back over.

Liam received a call from Helena telling him and his sister to head to the hospital. Cyrus was on his last breaths. Eleanor asked for Jasper to be by her side. She didn't think the death of her uncle would weigh on her this hard. But it did.

The moment he was pronounced dead Eleanor burst into tears burying her head into Jasper's chest. Helena was also crying and was comforted by Liam. It was only the four of them in the room when he passed, which made all of it that much more unfortunate. Cyrus _did_ deserve better. Eleanor knew that he had a heart.. it was just masked by envy and insecurity being in the shadow of his older brother all of his life.

Cyrus' funeral was held a few days later in the palace. There was a national broadcast for the people to say goodbye to the King. Helena, Liam, and Eleanor stood next to his casket while the eulogist spoke. They were all dressed in black while the ladies wore hats with a veil to cover most of their face.

Trying to hold her shit together and keep her makeup in place, Eleanor kept her gaze on the ground. She sounded out the eulogist speaking and tried her best to focus on something else. Anything. Raising her head she instantly made eye contact with Jasper who was staring straight back at her. He was standing adjacent to the royal family at the head of the row of security detail. He gave her a slow nod as if he was saying _you can do this._

After the ceremony there was a banquet held in one of the ballrooms. A variety of food and drinks were served. A stream of people walked past what was left of the royal family shaking their hands and sending their condolences. Eleanor mindlessly accepted the people's well wishes. She just wanted it all to be over. Eventually they were all able to be seated. Cynthia joined Liam and Jasper joined Eleanor's side.

Liam and Eleanor hadn't spoken much since the night she was completely caught rummaging through his girlfriend's phone. She didn't apologize either, because she _still_ didn't like the bitch.. even though Dustin was at fault for the newspaper article.

Speaking of the article, Eleanor could hear buzz all around her as Jasper and her silently ate next to each other.

"Is that _him?_ "

" _Well, he is pretty handsome."_

 _"He looks pretty stable at the moment.."_

Eleanor viciously stabbed the food with her fork trying to ignore the people around her.

"Are you okay?" Jasper asked peering over to her.

"I'm just great," she snapped not looking at him. She looked over to her brother across the table. Cynthia was patting his hair and brushing it to the side looking more upset than he did. Eleanor rolled her eyes. _Get me the fuck out of this room already._

Eleanor felt Jasper put his hand on her thigh. She instinctively kicked her leg up. People were watching. He cleared his throat retrieving his hand back. She looked over at him. He looked embarrassed, as though he had forgotten they had a 'no touch rule' around the people.

A group of women at a table next to them began to chatter again. _"Did you see that? He touched her!"_ The flash of a camera phone lit up from behind them.

 _Fuck the people._ Eleanor grabbed his hand which was in his lap and squeezed it. She could see a light smile spread across his face which made her smile in return. She was in no way embarrassed of her man. On the contrary, she was rather proud. No matter how 'deranged' he may be at times.

 _If this truly is what the people want, then I will give it to them._ Eleanor lightly grazed his cheek with her hand turning his head toward her and planted a quick kiss on his lips. She then laid her head on his shoulder. There was a simultaneous gasp that echoed throughout the room. The chatter elevated substantially higher. They looked at each other trying to hold back a laugh.

Helena cleared her throat across the table with her eyes widened. Eleanor couldn't give a shit. She was with _him_. And that's all that mattered. People could think whatever they wanted. Only she knew within herself how happy and safe he made her feel.

The Queen dismissed the gathering saying her goodbyes and thank yous once more. Jasper and Eleanor escaped into his office to avoid any further comments or awkward looks as the people left.

"So the no touch rule is over then?" he smirked sitting down on his computer chair.

"I guess so. You are just _simply_ too irresistible bodyguard." She cocked her head to the side walking toward him.

"I knew it wouldn't last very long."

She rolled her eyes. It was rather refreshing having his arrogant attitude challenge her again. It had been a long time. Maybe he really was on the road to a full recovery.

Eleanor stood over him as he put his hands on her hips. He held her close and pushed his lips up against her lower stomach giving her butterflies. Their overall intimacy was put on hold over the past couple weeks. He was often too tired to make any advances, or simply uninterested when she tried herself. And once everything happened with Dustin, he was overly cautious with how to approach her.

They didn't speak much about the assault after it happened. Eleanor knew her fiancée well enough by now that certain subjects shouldn't be brought up. She didn't want to ignite that fiery look in his eyes if she could avoid it.

"I have 10 minutes before I have to get back to work," Jasper whispered looking up at her. He rubbed the sides of her forearms which already had goose bumps trailed along them. She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck gazing into his powder blue eyes.

"I-I think we can work that out," Eleanor struggled to spit out the words. The damp sensation in her panties reminded her of how much she missed his touch. All she could focus on was the feeling of his growing erection underneath her bare thighs. Jasper was amused by the trembling in her voice. He gently kissed the inside of her neck as he slipped his hand up her dress.

She crouched over in pleasure as his fingers rubbed her with the perfect amount of pressure. He lightly pushed her to stand back up and began to work her panties off the sides of her hips. Eleanor grabbed onto his face, teasing him by delicately sucking on his lower lip.

With one swift movement Jasper turned her around and pushed her to lay on her stomach across his desk. A stack of papers and a mini clock shattered across the floor. He didn't stop. She could hear him unzipping his pants. Her heart was pounding with anticipation. Within a matter of seconds he was inside of her.

Eleanor gasped in pleasure and slight pain. It had been a while.. _too_ long. Placing his hands under her dress back onto her hips, he forcefully thrust in and out of her. Her hands grabbed onto papers sprawled across the desk crinkling it in her hands. He let out a groan as he picked up the pace. Jasper was clearly in one of his aggressive moods, and Eleanor didn't mind it one bit.

Pausing, he picked her back up and turned her toward him. Entering her again, he threw her arms back around his neck to help keep her balance. This time he slowly grinded into her so she could feel every inch of him. She let out a small cry looking up at his face. He was biting his lip and his eyes were forcefully shut. Unable to control it any longer, Eleanor had an intense orgasm letting out a high pitched moan. Jasper pressed his hand across her mouth masking her cries as he came with her.

He picked her up by her ass and fell back into his chair with her still on top of him. Jasper's suit jacket, shirt, and tie were still in place. He softly kissed her on the lips a couple more times before they strategically cleaned up their mess.. and the clutter that was now dispersed across his office.

Walking back into their bedroom in a sex filled daze, Eleanor had forgotten that she and her friend had plans for the afternoon. Imogen stood before her bright eyed and bushy tailed. Eleanor excused herself to a quick shower before they made their way out to the royal gardens. Imogen came prepared, bringing along two binders full of different wedding gowns.

After two hours of going over different options, Eleanor could confidently say she was ready for her wedding. She chose an elegant, egg shell white strapless dress with a corset back that cinched at her waist. There were tiny diamonds embroidered across the lining of the dress and the train draped across the floor. It was simple yet it got its point across just like her usual fashion statements. The royal wedding would be held in a gothic church called Westminster Abbey.

* * *

 **One Month Later**

Today was Liam's coronation as King of England. Eleanor had been sick in bed with the stomach flu. She could barely leave the bathroom for the past few days. Luckily she was feeling well enough to attend her brother's ceremony. It was the biggest day of his life and she wouldn't miss it for the world.

The twins made up over the last couple weeks. Liam decided to slow things down with Cynthia. He wasn't exactly sure if he ever truly loved, or even liked, her. Eleanor decided it was best to keep her pride aside and hold back from telling him ' _I told you so'_.

James was able to return to his position as the Princess' security detail. Eleanor couldn't be happier. James Hill was simply the _only_ bodyguard that Jasper fully trusted for his fiancée. It relieved an abundant amount of unnecessary drama.

"Can I get you anything?" Jasper hovered over Eleanor as he sat up in their bed. The light shone through the curtains as he stood up and put his shirt on.

"Water," she squeaked.

Eleanor was able to keep down the croissant that James had brought her which felt like nothing short of a miracle. She took a shower propping her body weight against the wall. Jasper entered shortly thereafter. He pushed her hair to one side of her shoulder and began scrubbing her back with a washcloth covered in soap.

She dressed herself in a proper dark blue dress that cut off above her knees. Light purple eye shadow and black eyeliner accompanied her outfit. After slipping on black pumps she helped tie Jasper's bow tie. He wore a suit in a similar shade of blue. Today he wasn't the head of security detail. He was Jasper, the Princess' fiancée.. or furthermore; she was Eleanor.. the future _Mrs. Frost_. She slipped on her engagement ring before grabbing her black clutch.

James led them outside of the palace. They were greeted by Liam, Helena, and a man protectively standing behind her mother in front of a limo. Eleanor was thoroughly shocked as she recognized the man. It was _Allister Lacey_. She recognized him from the photo's that her mum had shown her. He was the one that essentially turned her mother into less of a cold hearted witch. He tamed her.. Eleanor knew the feeling.

Jasper grabbed onto her hand lacing their fingers as he nodded his head at James who held the door open for them. The ride to the event was awkward. Allister seemed thoroughly uncomfortable and Liam was visibly anxious. Helena didn't have any sharp words to express for once and neither did Eleanor. It was the quietest car ride any of them had ever taken.

It was obvious they were approaching their destination as several camera bulb's started to flash. People screamed trying to look into the windows. Eleanor looked down at her hand still in his. The calm expression slapped across Jasper's face naturally helped soothe her emotions.

Buttoning his jacket, Liam got out of the car first. The mass hollered at the top of their lungs. People truly loved him. _King Liam! King Liam! King Liam!_

Helena took Allister's hand before exiting the limo. The flashes from cameras escalated. Their Queen with an undisclosed man, with no relation to royalty whatsoever, set the crowd wild.

"Let's go baby," Jasper took a short glance at Eleanor before extending his hand. Before thinking twice she grasped onto it and buried her face with her other hand. Seemingly impossible, the cheers grew even louder as they emerged from the car.

They were quickly led into a sheltered area away from the people and paparazzi. Eleanor had to consciously catch her breath. She felt like she was going to pass out. Jasper put his arm around her waist and pulled her in close kissing the top of her head.

For once in her life, she wished her obnoxious brother or mother would speak up or at least crack a joke to break the tension. But they didn't. They were just as nervous as her.

* * *

Eleanor peered over the thousands of people who had come together to celebrate the announcement of their new King. Cameras were in their face broadcasting the event across the nation. They stood in a single file line next to each other. Liam was to her right approaching the microphone at the stand. Helena was the other side of him. Eleanor grasped Jasper's hand who was standing to her left. She glanced at the ring which glimmered on her finger. It was the first time they were in public together as an engaged couple.

Liam was doing a marvelous job at delivering his speech. He spoke eloquently and was naturally charismatic as always. Eleanor was extremely proud of her brother. She thought she would never see this day and it truly was amazing.

But then it happened. The crowd in front of her began to morph together. It felt like the stage was on a teeter totter. She took a slight step back trying to catch her balance. Jasper tightened his grasp on her hand as he quickly scanned her. Eleanor squinted her eyes and put her other hand over her face. She felt like she was going to be sick. The people in the front row stared the Princess down. A light mist of sweat covered her whole body. She needed to get off of the stage. Now.

Covering her mouth, Eleanor bolted behind Liam across the stage. James extended his arm to help her down the stairs. Liam paused speaking as he glanced over at his sister. Jasper clasped his hands together helplessly looking around the arena unsure of what to do. Liam continued his speech as though nothing had happened. James followed her behind the stadium as she collapsed onto her knees and got sick.

He offered her a few linen napkins off of a table. She tried to clean herself up but continued to throw up everything in her system, which wasn't much. Jasper briskly jogged up behind them and stopped in his spot. He was rather squeamish around vomit.

"I'll call for a car," James reassured them as he walked away for a moment.

Eleanor took a sip of water and finally stood back up wiping her mouth. She had mascara dripping down her face and she was as pale as a ghost. Jasper hesitatingly gave her a pat on the back.

"You are _so_ comforting sometimes Jasper." She rolled her eyes at him who couldn't fight back a thoroughly disgusted expression on his face.

Arriving back at the palace, Eleanor laid in bed with an ice pack on her head. Jasper lied next to her as they watched the rest of the coronation on TV. She hadn't gotten sick in a while and was able to keep some water down. She was disappointed that she had to watch the rest of the event on television. She was even more saddened by what the media would say about her 'exit'. They were going to eat that footage up.

"You've been sick for a long time baby," Jasper softly spoke. "It's been almost a week now. Maybe you should go to the doctor."

"I was fine until I had those bloody cameras inches from my face. My nerves got the best of me."

* * *

 _"The attention wasn't only on King Liam during yesterday's coronation. Princess Eleanor sent a message to the people with a shimmering new engagement ring on her finger. However, the Princess couldn't handle the pressure as she promptly fled the scene halfway through the King's speech."_

Eleanor furiously read the article from her phone to Imogen who sat across her bed.

"Geez, I'm sorry Len. Are you feeling any better today?"

"I only got sick a couple times earlier this morning." Eleanor adjusted herself propping her back up against the headboard. "I'm fine now."

"I don't mean to press.. but you have gotten your period recently, yes?"

"Well I.. yes. About.. a few weeks ago."

Imogen looked concerned. Eleanor was visibly unfazed. There was no chance of her being _pregnant._ That's just silly.

Liam walked into the room with a familiar girl on his arm. Willow, a girl he had met about a year ago, waved at Eleanor.

"Willow? What happened to you?" Eleanor grinned standing up. "It's about time you came back around!"

"It's good to see you too, Len. I guess your brother spotted me in the crowd," Willow replied looking up at Liam.

"How could I miss her? She was in the front row." Liam smirked lightly blushing as he returned her gaze.

It had been a long time since Eleanor saw the look in her brother's eyes.. the look of true love. There was no detrimental reason for their breakup months ago, they had just parted ways. His sister was _much_ happier seeing Willow in her twin's arm than that other wanker.. she forgot the name of her already.

"Are you feeling better today?" Willow asked.

"Um, kind of.." Eleanor's thoughts trailed off. "So, you were able to get front row seats of me nearly throwing up across the stage?"

"Yes, you did look pretty sick."

"Classic Lenny, always trying to put the spotlight on her," Liam chuckled as Eleanor swiftly slapped him on the arm.

"Shut up, you."

* * *

The heavy patter of rain against the window kept Eleanor awake. She laid in bed on her back with her hands on her stomach. Jasper had taken his meds and was sound asleep next to her. Although she was certain that Imogen had just gotten in her head, she couldn't shake the thought of pregnancy. To reassure herself she opened up the drawer next to her bed and took out the urine test.

She locked herself in the bathroom. Fumbling to open up the package, she finally took it out of the box. It came with directions but she didn't think it'd be too difficult to figure out how to pee on a stick. _1 line, not pregnant, 2 lines, pregnant.. blah blah._ She tossed the paper in the trash.

She sat on the floor of the bathroom for 3 long minutes scanning through her phone. After deciding it had been long enough, she took the stick off of the counter and glanced at the mini window on it. There were 2 pink lines.

Eleanor wasn't able to sleep all night. She cried, she got sick, she felt happy at times.. she was a complete mess. She didn't know what she was going to do about the pregnancy. Was she ready to be a mother? They weren't even married yet.

One thing was certain. She definitely was _not_ ready to tell Jasper. After everything he had been through the past couple of months, she wanted to give the guy a break.

"You're awake," Jasper grumbled as his alarm clock went off. It was 5 A.M. Eleanor was mindlessly scrolling through her phone.

"Still not feeling well," she muttered. She couldn't look him in the eyes. He would be able to tell within minutes that she was hiding something if she did.

It was still pouring outside. Jasper rolled out of the bed and walked into the bathroom turning the shower on.

* * *

 **Two Weeks Later**

Jasper knew something was wrong. Eleanor was acting extremely guilty, but he couldn't figure out why. She avoided him as much as possible until they were forced to sleep together at night. They hadn't had sex in over a week. It was hard to focus at work. It was hard to focus during therapy. All he could think about was what she could possibly be hiding.

He watched her pace back and forth outside of Liam's bedroom door over one of the surveillance cameras. He zoomed in on her face. She was chewing her nails and looked like she may be crying.

Eleanor was going insane. She had to tell someone. It had been long enough keeping the secret to herself. Entering her brother's room, she saw him playing video games once again.

"We need to talk," she didn't move her eye sight from the floor.

"What's wrong?"

"You really are one the last people I want to tell, but the only person I can.. I only trust you, and well, Jasper.. but that's the point and-"

"Len. You're rambling. Talk to me."

Eleanor took a seat in his computer chair. She burst into tears as she told him about the news. She was terrified. Having to tell Jasper seemed impossible. It was unimaginable to think of how he would react. She knew she would be a young mother, but she wanted to keep the baby. This frightened her even more.

Jasper waited outside of Liam's bedroom door listening. He was completely blindsided. _How could she not come to me?_ Unable to control his rage any further he burst in through Liam's door.

"When the _hell_ were you going to tell me?" he shouted.

Eleanor felt the color drain from her face. Liam promptly stood up from his bed and walked out of his bedroom. He wanted no part in this.

"I-I.. just found-"

" _Bullshit_ Eleanor. How long have you known?"

She didn't reply.

" _Fucking_ speak. Now," Jasper rushed up to the chair placing both of his hands on either side of it. His face was inches from hers.

Tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "About two weeks or so."

He stepped away from her and turned his back toward her. Rubbing his face with his hands he paced back and forth. She watched his emotions take over.

"How did this happen," he spoke above a whisper.

"I don't _know_ Jasper, I really don't. I've been taking my birth control, except I kind of slacked when we weren't having sex for a while.."

"You kind of slacked?" He turned back around. "This is a goddamn life we're talking about here. How could you be so irresponsible?"

"This is why I didn't want to tell you," Eleanor spoke through gritted teeth. "You can't handle this sort of information. You put on this facade as this tough, strong minded bodyguard. But you just aren't.. you're _too goddamn weak._ "

Jasper paused before anything else came out of his mouth. He collapsed up against the wall sitting on the floor and buried his head in his hands. They didn't speak for a moment.

"Is that really what you think of me Eleanor?" his eyes burned through her. He looked like he was fighting back tears.

Jasper stood back up and straightened his jacket. "You want to do this on your own? Then fine. Do it," he lightly spoke. "How am I supposed to marry a woman who could hold such a thing from me for _this_ long? You think I'm the weak one? You're a fucking _coward_."

He slammed the door behind him so hard it made the walls shake.


	18. The Royal Wedding

**A/N: Alright, so I may have unintentionally made a white lie. I wanted to end things at a certain point in the story but my mind has been running with new ideas and I don't really want to end it just yet. It may already be at 18 chapters but F it! I will let my imagination run! And thanks for the inspiration of not wanting the story to end just yet as well. Motivated me to keep it moving. I think you guys will like this chapter. Happy reading. 3**

* * *

Eleanor stared up at her ceiling. She had both of her hands crossed over her stomach. Jasper had just found out about the pregnancy and didn't take it well. That was an understatement.

She hadn't heard from him since he stormed out of Liam's room over an hour ago. She regretted the vicious comments that had spewed from her mouth.. she was purely upset and was now confused more than ever. His reaction was uncalled for as well. He clearly was nervous and overwhelmed. They needed to talk. This wasn't a matter that could be brushed under the rug. Time had already passed a substantial amount and it couldn't be ignored any longer.

Reaching for her sweater Eleanor left her bedroom. She asked James if he had seen Jasper. He guided her to one of the balconies. It was dark outside and she could see the outline of his body. James nodded his head before walking back into the hallway.

Eleanor placed her hand on the door knob but didn't open it. She gazed through the window watching him. He was smoking a cigarette which he rarely ever did. His posture was broken, resting his arms on the banister. She waited there for some time before getting the courage to finally open the door.

The creak of the door made him slowly turn around. He quickly smashed the end of his cigarette out. She fanned the air as she approached him.

"I guess we have to be more careful around those cancer sticks now," Eleanor spoke with a crooked smile.

His expression was impassive. Taking his coat jacket off, he wrapped it around her shoulders. He didn't speak a word.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. I didn't intentionally get us in this situation. This is the last thing I could have planned for." She waited a while for him to respond. She absolutely _hated_ being the first to apologize.

"It' s not the pregnancy. I'll support you in whatever you decide. I just don't understand how you could have kept this from me for so long. It's my child too."

Her stomach dropped hearing him say it. She felt a knot form in her throat. She had to tell him.

"I want to keep it," Eleanor's voice was raspy. She grabbed onto his hand praying for a positive reaction.

Jasper clenched his jaw looking out into the night sky.

"I should have told you," she continued. "Please forgive me. I was only trying to protect you."

"You don't need to protect me, Eleanor. That's my job."

"It's not just your job. We're getting married next month and you will be my _husband._ We have to look out for each other."

She was desperate for him to give in a little. To be less stubborn. To at least look at her.

After standing in silence for nearly 5 minutes, Eleanor eventually gave up. She brushed the sides of his jacket off her shoulders and offered it back to him. Jasper finally looked her in the eyes.

"I forgive you." It looked like it pained him to accept her apology.

 _That's it?_

Eleanor solemnly nodded her head before opening the door and returning to their room. Her vision grew blurry as tears filled her eyes. She didn't say a word passing James in the hallway.

The shower trickled warm water over her head. She sat on the floor of the shower and brought her knees up to her chin. Resting her head on her legs, she cried and cried. This should be one of the happiest moments in her life. Instead, it was one of the most agonizing and confusing.

The alarm clock went off. The sun hadn't risen yet and it was still dark in the room. She felt something on her stomach and instinctively put her hand on it. Jasper sharply inhaled and let out a funky noise as she accidentally poked him in the eye.

He raised his head off of her tummy and grunted as he sat up. Eleanor lightly smiled. Even though he had trouble verbally communicating about the pregnancy, she always was in tune with his body language. His body usually spoke better than his words.

Jasper switched the light on exposing his bed hair ferociously tousled on his head.

"Good morning," he mumbled throwing the covers off of himself. "And good morning," he whispered before delicately kissing her stomach. Eleanor felt a warm sensation spread throughout her chest. She couldn't be happier to see that Jasper was finally coming around.

* * *

 **One Month Later**

Eleanor frantically ran around the hotel room trying to get a hold of her makeup artist. He was supposed to be here 30 minutes ago. She let out a huge groan before plopping on the bed. Today was the biggest day of her life. She knew that the level of anxiety would be extreme, but she didn't need this extra bull shit to worry about.

"Eleanor, calm down darling," Helena soothingly spoke running her fingers through her daughter's hair. "It will all work out perfectly. I will make sure of it.. Or heads will roll."

She smirked at her mother's brazen attitude. She had never been happier to have her mother by her side on her wedding day. They had grown past their differences and bonded on a much higher level over the last month. Having Allister in her life truly made her mother happy, and Eleanor really liked the guy herself. Also, finding out that she would soon be a grandmother made Helena simply overjoyed. She wanted to be the best woman she could be for her future grandchild.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." A flamboyant man rushed into the door rolling a trunk behind him. A few other guys behind him entered the room.

"You're damn right you are," Helena spoke through clenched teeth standing back up. "This is the goddamn Princess of England, you jackass. You best make up for this or I will have you fired with just the snap of my fingers."

The Queen looked behind her at Eleanor giving her a wink making her daughter smile.

Imogen helped Rachel hang up the bridesmaids dresses and the bride's gown. Eleanor only wanted her best friend and mother by her side. She was genuinely content that. Although she didn't have many 'friends' she would rather be surrounded by the few that thoroughly loved her for who she _was_ , not her titles.

Eleanor sat in the makeup chair for what felt like hours. She didn't perspire often but she could feel a light mist of sweat coating her body. Luckily the morning/overall sickness had dissipated. She must have progressed from that stage. And _thank God_ , because she already felt sick to her stomach from the stress.

The hairdresser was pulling at her hair, forming it into an elegant ponytail with a side part and loose curls. She knew Jasper loved this hair style on her and would drive him wild.

The makeup artist was in her face without a mirror to look at herself. _He better be doing a damn good job._

After the artist was finally done, he handed her a mini mirror to look in. He gave her a smoky eye; the Princess' signature look.. but classier and more defined. He had applied false eyelashes and covered her lips in a powder pink shade. Her cheekbones were flawlessly sculpted with bronzer. Eleanor knew she looked fucking _beautiful._

It was time to get into her gown. Since she was only approximately two months pregnant, her bump wasn't prominent enough to show through her dress. With her frail frame, it just looked as though she had a stacked hamburger earlier in the day if anything. She loved the way her strapless gown cinched around her body and elegantly flowed across the ground behind her.

It was getting closer and closer to the ceremony and she was on the verge of a full blown panic attack.

After everything was finished Eleanor gazed at herself in the mirror. She was amazed with the woman looking back at her. Not only did she feel the most beautiful she ever felt in her life.. she was thoroughly and completely happy. She was about to marry the man of her dreams, the only man for her. And they were expecting their first child together. They were going to be a true _family_. Six months ago, Eleanor would _never_ imagine being in the position she was in after the over dose. At the time, she truly believed that she was doomed to a life full of addiction and depression.. but love helped her pull through. It gave her the motivation to be the better woman that she always knew she was deep down.

Helena tearfully walked up behind her daughter looking at their refection. She rubbed the outsides of her arms.

"Mum, _please_ don't lose it. Not yet. I just got my makeup done. And you're not going to make me ruin it this soon." Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Helena spoke as she raised her eyes to the ceiling, lightly dabbing underneath them with a napkin. "You just look so bloody happy. You're absolutely ravishing, my daughter."

Eleanor turned around and gave her mother a big squeeze.

"Your highness, the car will arrive in 10 minutes." James entered the room. He was visibly stunned looking at the Princess. A few tears welled up in his eyes.

" _Oh_ not you too James," Eleanor smiled walking up to him and hugging him. "Thank you for always being there for me. And for Jasper. As always.. I must say, you do amuse me Mr. Hill."

James let out a chuckle wiping a stray tear that had fallen from his eye. "Speaking of Mr. Frost, I must leave now. I will see you soon."

He exited the room. James was one of Jasper's groomsmen. He had asked Liam to be his best man. Aside from being Eleanor's brother, Liam genuinely was his best friend. He stuck by his side in his darkest hours and Jasper loved him as a brother.

"I guess it's time," Imogen squealed grasping Eleanor's hands into hers. "Are you ready?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

The bridesmaids were dressed in lilac strapless dresses and had their hair in loose curls with a half updo.

On the ride to the church, Eleanor was the most jittery she had ever been in her life. What she would do for a few shots of whiskey right now. Helena could sense her daughter's anxiety and put her hand on her thigh stroking it with her thumb.

They were lead into the back area of the church. It was 30 minutes before the event began. Eleanor tried her hardest to focus on the things that naturally calmed her down. Basically, Jasper. She wondered where he was, what he was thinking, how he was doing, and how handsome he would look once she walked toward the altar.

Liam walked into the powder room in his full 'King attire'. It was the exact outfit that their father once wore.

He was going to be walking her down the aisle.

"Lenny," Liam's voice shook as he approached her. "You're- you're absolutely radiant." He couldn't fight back a few tears welling up in his eyes.

Eleanor lost it. Seeing her brother cry, in this moment with her.. it was unreal. A few tears streamed down her face.

"Goddamn you brother. I lasted _this_ long without ruining my makeup."

Liam gently pushed his thumb under her eyes wiping away her tears.

"I'm sorry," Liam let out a chuckle. "But at least you don't have to wear this god forsaken outfit." He peered down at the navy blue attire with a sash, medals and fancy gold buttons across it. Eleanor giggled.

Suddenly, they could hear the ceremony begin as the chords started playing. The fact that this was being nationally broadcasted was the least of her worries. She just wanted to make it down that aisle without passing out.

"You're going to be okay," Liam assured her. "And you have me here to hold onto. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I love you so much. See you out there." Helena grabbed her face in her hands and kissed her on the cheek. Allister offered her his arm as he led her out of the curtains that separated the rooms.

She could hear powerful cheering as her mother walked down the aisle.

"You are going to do great Lenny. See you out there," Imogen spoke as she grabbed onto James' arm following the Queen's lead.

" _Oh God,"_ Eleanor hissed staring at the ground.

"Len," a tiny voice squeaked. She looked down at Nina, holding a basket of rose petals. She had been asked to be the flower girl. "You look _real_ pretty."

"Thank you sweet heart." Eleanor squatted to her knees at eye level with James' daughter. "But you look even prettier. Are you ready?"

Nina enthusiastically shook her head as she pushed through the curtains.

"This is it," Eleanor glanced at her brother before putting her hand in his and leaning her head on his shoulder.

They could hear a live guitarist begin the chords to The Beatles 'Here Comes the Sun'. It was their cue. It was the song they had chosen for her to walk out to.

"Let's go get married, sis." Liam beamed offering his arm.

Eleanor inhaled a deep breath before wringing her arm through his. The curtains slowly opened before them as they walked out. Liam held tight onto her arm.

She initially held her eyesight to the ground consumed with anxiety. But she eventually raised her head locking eyes with Jasper. He was wearing a white tuxedo which was rimmed with black along his jacket and pocket. His bowtie and the napkin peeping from the pocket was black. He also had on black slacks. His hair was tousled in just the way she liked it. She was stunned with how handsome he looked.

Everyone in the crowd raised to their feet smiling at the twins with their eyes locked on the Princess. Meeting his gaze, Eleanor was able to break free of her nerves and naturally smiled the rest of the walk down the aisle.

Approaching Jasper, Liam held her hand in his before kissing her on the cheek. He took his position beside Jasper.

"You may be seated," the pastor spoke.

Jasper was visibly astonished looking at his bride. He extended his hands for her to grasp on to. She could tell that he was desperately fighting back tears.

The pastor instructed them to present their vows.

"Eleanor," Jasper started. His voice was extremely shaky and she could tell he was going to break down any second. "Since the moment I met you, I was absolutely captivated by you. You challenge me, you keep me on my toes, and you simply make me a better man. Regardless of your titles as the Princess, you will always be royalty to me. I may have started out as your bodyguard, but I promise you that I will always protect you, honor you, and continue to make you the happiest woman to the best of my ability. And I love you.. so much."

A few tears streamed down his face quickly wiping them away.

"Jasper," Eleanor began. Her voice was hoarse and looking into his eyes made her knees weak. "We've been through quite the journey. I knew since the moment I laid eyes on you that you were the only one for me. Your confidence, your intelligence, your stubbornness." The crowd lightly snickered. "I don't know where I would be at this point in my life if I had never met you. You influence me to be the best woman that I can be.. the woman that you have always seen in me. I promise to stay by your side no matter how crazy things can sometimes get. You have never left my side. And I appreciate that more than you could ever know. I love you _so_ much, and nothing will ever change that."

At this point, both of them were lightly crying tears of joy.

"Do you Eleanor, take Jasper to be your partner in love and life? Will you honor and cherish him as long as you both shall live?" the pastor spoke.

"I do."

Jasper slipped her diamond encrusted wedding band over her ring finger which perfectly complemented the other.

"And do you Jasper, take Eleanor to be you partner in love and life? Will you honor and cherish her as long as you both shall live?"

Jasper gazed into her eyes. It was the most elated she had ever seen him. It looked as though all of the pain and destruction he had suffered throughout his life had been repaired.

"I do."

She promptly slipped his wedding band onto his finger.

"May the blessings of life, the joy of love, the peace of truth, and the wisdom and strength of the Spirit, be your constant companion now and always, as husband and wife. Now, you may kiss the bride!"

Jasper lunged toward Eleanor kissing her and dipping her with her back as their guests went wild. It was official. The hard part was over. They were married. And she couldn't be happier.

* * *

Everyone made their way to the after party. They did their first dance together. They stared into each other's eyes as if it was the first time they had ever seen each other. All of the people surrounding them disappeared as they danced. It was just him and her. A tear dropped from Jasper's eye.

"Would you _keep it together already?_ " Eleanor whispered with a grin on her face.

"I can't. I'm staring at the most beautiful creature on the planet. My _wife_."

Eleanor pushed her lips against his as the crowd let out an accumulative _oooo._

The rest of her family joined them on stage. She looked over at Allister and her mother slow dancing with each other. And Liam and Willow. And James and Nina. Eleanor didn't believe she had it in her to honestly be _this_ happy.

"May I have this dance?" Allister politely approached the two of them.

"Of course," Jasper spoke switching places and taking Helena into his arms.

"You know, your mother and I have always dreamed of a day like this for ourselves," he said genuinely smiling down at her. "It's such an honor to watch you follow your heart. Helena struggled with that for years."

"Tell me about it," Eleanor rolled her eyes following his pace to the music.

"You have a great man. It's rather evident that he loves you so much. _Almost_ as much as I love your mother," he smirked. They both looked toward Helena and Jasper dancing. Jasper kept his gaze on Eleanor and Allister. Typical Jasper. Not trusting _any_ man around her.

"Anyways Eleanor, I just wanted to send my best wishes. I'm very happy for you.. and I'm excited to get to know you better," Allister stopped dancing slowly backing away.

"Me too, Allister. I have hope for you yet." Eleanor softly smiled and winked at him before he resumed his position with Helena.

"I missed you," Jasper breathed placing his hands back on her hips.

"Of course you did," she smirked before kissing him. She repetitively kissed him over and over again.

It was time to throw the bouquet. Eleanor was happy that the night was coming to an end. She was thoroughly exhausted.

The DJ instructed her to chuck the flowers behind her head. She swiftly turned around seeing that Willow had caught it. Eleanor couldn't fight back a hearty laugh as she pointed at her brother.

"You're next!" she shouted as Liam smirked with an uncomfortable expression.

Jasper carried Eleanor into their hotel suite. Placing her on the bed he trickled several kisses along her face and the side of her neck.

"I can't believe it," he grinned looking into her eyes. " _Mrs. Frost_."

Eleanor was extremely thrilled herself, but she was very tired. Carrying another person around in her tummy took a toll on her. She lightly closed her eyes. The sound of a champagne bottle bursting open reopened them.

"Do you mind if I have a drink?"

"No, of course not," she yawned rubbing over her eyes.

Jasper approached the bed and held her in his embrace.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to look any more beautiful."

Eleanor smiled running her hands through his hair.

"But you looked _fucking_ gorgeous tonight. And that damn ponytail. I don't know how you do it.. or what you do to me," he spoke sipping his glass.

She smirked instinctively unzipping her gown and slipping it off the sides of her body. There was only _so_ long that she could constrict her body in that attire.

"I feel much better now," she sighed laying in white lingerie.

"I know you're tired baby." Jasper kissed her slightly bulging stomach. "But you can't do this to me. You can't let me see you like this right now."

He wrapped his arms underneath her hips and lightly traced her lower tummy with his tongue. She _was_ exhausted, but as usual.. she could never turn the man down.

He softly worked her panties down her thighs and went down on her. Eleanor was instantly reawakened and ready for pretty much anything.

* * *

They woke up the next morning naked in bed. Eleanor gazed at the rings on her finger. _Yesterday really happened. We're finally married._

Jasper quickly awoke shortly thereafter as if he knew she was awake.

He kept his eyes closed against the sunlight showing through the window. Eleanor knew that he was hung over.. he had nearly two bottles of champagne to himself since she wasn't able to help him consume it.

Jasper moved his body closer to hers gripping onto her thighs to rest on top of his. She brought him into an embrace.

"I love you so much Jasper," she whispered tracing her fingers along his back.

"I love you more, Mrs. Frost." He delicately rubbed his hand over her stomach and kissed the inside of her neck.

They had plans for a honeymoon vacation to Hawaii in the United States. Since they just had an amazing trip in Fiji not too long ago, Eleanor had high expectations. They would be leaving in 3 days.

Returning from their honeymoon, Eleanor's skin was several shades darker and so was Jasper's. The Princess was pleasantly surprised with her experience in the US. The views and location of their hotel was absolutely breathtaking.

After they got back to the palace, Jasper was upset that he had to return to work. All he wanted to do was be with _her._ Even though it had only been a week, her pregnancy bump had protruded a significant amount against her tiny frame.

Jasper could not be more supportive of the pregnancy. Even though she was technically still in the early stages, he helped her with _every_ single thing she did. It was almost annoying, but she knew by now that this was the way that her husband showed his love.

She loved seeing this side of him. He was going to make an amazing father without a doubt. And although she was skeptical, she knew deep down that she would be the best mother to her abilities.

Eleanor was going to be the best wife and mother to her full potential.


	19. Paparazzi

" _Princess Eleanor travels to the US with her new husband honeymooning in Hawaii. What was more eye-catching than the joy spread across their faces was the noticeable bump on the skinny Princess' physique. Is a royal baby already in the works?"_

Eleanor read the article from TMZ, the top celebrity gossip site in America, to Jasper. Propping the laptop in her lap she stared at the pictures of the two of them. They were smiling hand in hand in their bathing suits on one of the beaches in Maui. She didn't think she looked _that_ pregnant yet. She insecurely glanced down at her bulging tummy. She was now over 3 months pregnant.

" _Bloody_ Americans," she spoke with her mouth half filled with chocolate muffin.

"They were going to find out at some point, baby." Jasper was doing his hair in the mirror. "It's just happening a bit sooner than later because you're naturally so tiny." He turned around and stroked her tummy with his hand.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eleanor squinted her eyes at him.

"Nothing. You look beautiful," he smiled as he rubbed a smudge of chocolate off her upper lip. "I love you, I will see you at lunch."

Eleanor frowned throwing her laptop to the side. She loathed being in the media, for any account. But she _knew_ she was in for quite the roller coaster of judgment as she would slowly be putting on more weight. The Princess was used to being skinny as long as she could remember. A little _too_ skinny if anything. But she thought it was what looked best on her. Lavish outfits and dresses were complemented best by slender arms and legs in her opinion.. and a flat stomach.

She stood in front of her mirror turning to the side running her hand down the front of her tank top. Maybe she _did_ look more pregnant than she allowed herself to think.

* * *

 **Two Months Later**

Eleanor's stomach had officially ballooned a significant amount. Now being 5 months pregnant, it was almost half way through her pregnancy. She had put on nearly 25 pounds. She was definitely not able to wear the same clothes she used to. She absolutely refused to wear maternity clothing and chose to wear oversized shirts and sweatshirts with loose leggings most of the time. The 'loose leggings' actually _were_ maternity clothing, but her personal shopper kept that secret to herself.

The weight of the baby was taking a toll on her body. She had severe back pains, would get winded easily, and was tired _all_ of the time.

As she predicted, the media was having a field day with the Princess' pregnancy. The British media covered her every move outside of the palace. Some blogs mocked the transformation of her body. Her old reputation didn't pan over well with being an expectant mother either. Eleanor tried her hardest to avoid reading any of the tabloids.

Jasper took the day off to take his wife to the doctor. Today they were doing a routine checkup and the doctor would be noting the sex of the baby. They decided they were going to have a gender neutral baby shower toward the end of their pregnancy to find out whether it would be a boy or a girl. They both liked the idea of a surprise.

They walked into the cold colorless waiting room. Eleanor took a seat while Jasper went to the front desk to let them know that they had arrived. Helena made sure that Eleanor regularly went to the finest maternity doctor in London. Dr. Hudson was the same doctor who tended her mother during her pregnancy with the twins.

Eleanor chewed on a Snickers bar as they waited. Jasper flipped through a random magazine. She gazed across the table with the rest of the magazines spewed across it. At least three of them that were visible displayed a picture of herself looking as pregnant as ever on the cover.

 _"The Princess Inflates at a Rapid Pace."_

 _"Princess Eleanor Swallows a Beach Ball? Or Enters Her Third Trimester?"_

She felt tears flood her eyes as she viciously threw the candy bar across the room and into the bin. Placing her fingers on her forehead she looked down at her lap. Teardrops slipped down the bridge of her nose. Jasper must have noticed what was upsetting her as he quickly stacked the magazines on top of each other, hiding the ones of herself underneath. He lightly rubbed her back and kissed the side of her head.

Returning from the doctor Eleanor dashed to their bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. The doctor had informed them that the baby was perfectly healthy and that its mother was in good health and at a stable weight as well. He also documented the sex of their baby and wrapped it in an envelope for them to hold onto.

Eleanor didn't speak much, if at all, during the examination. She couldn't get the vicious tabloids out of her head. _How could anyone be so mean?_ Maybe all of the years of being slightly bitchy were being returned to her in the worst way possible.

Jasper laid down next to her on top of the covers. Now more than ever, he had no idea what to say. He felt horrible for his wife the way the media was picking on her. But it was completely out of his control and he fucking _hated_ it. All he could do was hold her as she sobbed into his arms.

* * *

She didn't leave her bed for 5 days. She blamed it on being fatigued, but Jasper knew the real reason. He had experienced depression before and could notice the tell tale signs of it. The best way to break out of this state would be to get her out of bed and to be active. Sitting in bed all day and dwelling on the issue was trapping herself in her own personal hell.

It was the second week of December. Christmas was approaching soon, and the snow storm outside made it surely feel like the holidays.

Jasper took another day off from work. He wanted to get Eleanor out of bed. He knew how much she loved the snow and that it would naturally brighten things up for her. Without hesitation he cheerfully entered their bedroom.

"We're going shopping today. Your favorite holiday is approaching and we don't have gifts for anyone yet." He sat next to her on the bed.

"My favorite holiday is _Halloween_ ," she snapped. She wasn't wearing a trace of makeup and her hair was greasy.

"Okay.." Jasper was prepared for her cross attitude. "Well it's _my_ favorite holiday and the snow has subsided. Let's get you in the shower." He wasn't going to take no for an answer and she was well aware of it.

After they showered she got dressed in an oversized XXXL black sweatshirt and loose leggings. Black Ugg boots to match and she applied a light coat of mascara. Jasper helped her put her snow jacket on. He was wearing black jeans, Timberland boots, a grey sweater, a navy loose scarf and a black snow jacket. He was as sexy as ever.

"It's not fair that you get to look like a damn model and I have to look like a bloody whale walking on legs." She frowned looking him up and down.

"Shut up," he lightly whispered pulling a dark green beanie over her head. "You look sexier than I have ever seen you.. and I mean that." He pushed her cheeks together with his hands and gave her a big kiss making her smile. She believed him.

James drove them to Oxford Street. It was Eleanor's favorite place to go whenever she did her own shopping.

The snow was gracefully falling from the sky. She loved how quiet everything was when it snowed. Everything was naturally more peaceful. They walked hand in hand going into different shops. She was grateful that her husband got her out of the palace. It had been a while since she had gone shopping and it was absolutely one of her favorite activities.

Jasper held onto all of their shopping bags which started to stack up quickly. She picked out a few sweaters and a watch for Liam, Lioubitton heels for Willow and Imogen, and a diamond bracelet for Helena. She _never_ knew what to get her mother for gifts. The woman already had everything she could possibly want. Now they were on the hunt for a present for James. Since he was following not too far behind, she knew she had to do it discreetly.

After purchasing James' gift they made their way to Hamely's, one of the city's finest toy stores. Eleanor bought Nina a few costumes and Barbie dolls which resembled the main characters from 'Frozen'. Nina was obsessed with the Disney film, as much young girls around the world were.

Walking around the toy store, Eleanor visualized how much she was going to spoil their soon to be son or daughter.

"You know, just because we don't know the gender yet doesn't mean we can't start decorating the nursing room." She innocently smiled at Jasper.

"I couldn't agree more." Jasper smiled back at her. Whatever she wanted. He cherished seeing her smile again.

This time, they needed James' help carrying out the bags from the toy store. Eleanor lightly giggled looking at the both of them carrying at least 4 bags in each hand. She could get used to this treatment.

The sun had set and the Christmas lights lit up the street. Eleanor's back was aching from all of the walking she had done today, but she wanted to take in the scenery. She truly did love this time of year. Floating spheres and umbrella shaped lights lit up in blue and white colors hovered over them. Massive stars covered in twinkling lights towered over the people walking through the street. It was simply magical.

Jasper pulled her into his embrace resting his chin on her head. They both looked up at the lit Christmas tree that was easily 150 feet tall. It was bigger than the one in the palace. There were thousands of mini lights sparkling against it and ornaments the size of a small person.

The lights from the decorations suddenly converted to brighter flashes of light. An eruption of flickers from cameras approached them. Eleanor was successful at avoiding the paparazzi for most of the day, but she was silly for thinking she could escape them entirely in such a public area.

Jasper tried to shield her with his arms as she covered her face with her mittens. _Not now._

" _Princess! Princess! When are you due?"_

 _"Is it a boy or a girl?"_

They were both blinded by the illumination of the cameras. It was impossible to see two feet in front of them.

"Back off!" Jasper shouted still holding onto her. She buried her head into his chest.

 _"What do you have to say to the people who think your weight has escalated too quickly?"_

Eleanor covered her ears looking down at the ground. She was too exhausted for this treatment. One cameraman in particular had quite the voice on him.

 _"How much weight have you actually put on since conception?"_

 _"Do you have any diet plans for the near future?"_

She abruptly felt Jasper remove his arms from around her. Standing alone in the sea of wild animals, she looked up in fear.

"I said back the _fuck_ off!" Jasper hollered grabbing onto the paparazzo's camera and throwing it to the ground shattering it. He grasped onto either side of the man's coat and held him close to his face. "Ask her another question one more fucking time, I dare you."

Jasper was essentially holding the short man up by his jacket.

The cameraman was absolutely terrified. "Whoa, whoa t-take it easy mate," he stuttered.

"Mr. Frost!" James shouted approaching the both them. Jasper instinctively let the man down.

"Hold these please," James calmly spoke forcing the rest of the shopping bags into Jasper's hands. Within the blink of an eye, James sucker punched the camera man with all of his force making him quickly fall to the ground. The cameras resumed rapidly flashing as the crowd let out a cumulative gasp.

James shook his right hand with a serene expression.

"Now then, shall we go?" he took the bags back from Jasper's hands who was smirking at his comrade.

Both men shielded Eleanor back to the car safely getting her back inside. The car drove off getting further and further away from the flashes of light.

* * *

Jasper carried his Princess back into the palace and up to their room. She was thoroughly exhausted and had been fighting back tears since the moment they got in the car. James followed them, now carrying almost 16 bags to himself. Jasper delicately set Eleanor on her feet helping her take her coat off. She took a seat on the couch letting out a big sigh.

James set the shopping bags down and glanced over at Eleanor with a grim expression. He knew just as well as her family how truly amazing she was. How big her heart was. And how different she was inside the palace walls than how she was portrayed to the people of England. She never deserved this type of treatment from the media; their actions were reprehensible.

Jasper walked toward him shaking his hand.

"Good work today, Hill." Jasper had trouble balancing being James' boss who simultaneously was his wife's security detail and closest friend. But he knew how much the man cared about Eleanor. He was always there to protect her when Jasper couldn't. He was the _only_ man he trusted around her.. other than her brother of course.

"Of course, Mr. Frost," James smirked. "It'd better be me than you," he referenced toward his bloody knuckles. "Plus, it had been too long since I had the opportunity to knock some little shit off his ass."

Jasper lightly smiled before patting him on the shoulder. James showed himself out of the room.

Eleanor heavily cried into her hands resting her back up against the cushions. Her big belly wiggled as she whimpered. He took a seat next to her.

"I'm not leaving this bloody palace again until I finally spit this bugger out," she spoke through gritted teeth. Tears flew down her cheeks.

"Don't talk like that." Jasper pet her hair and kissed her forehead. "That little _bugger,_ as you British call it, is going to be the most amazing thing that has ever happened to us. You know that, don't you?"

Eleanor didn't reply. Taking off her beanie she struggled to lay on her side putting her head in his lap. He gently stroked her hair until she stopped crying. She quickly fell asleep lightly snoring. He picked her up with as much ease as possible and laid her down on her side of the bed. Before covering her with the sheets, Jasper raised her sweatshirt and delicately kissed her belly.


	20. The Baby Shower

**Sorry for the delay on this one guys! It's honestly a bit difficult balancing a super dark story (my newer fanfic) and this story which I'm trying to go lighter on nowadays.. But I'm back on track! :p Happy reading.**

* * *

It was Christmas Eve. There was a full blown blizzard outside and most of the city was advised to stay inside if possible.

Eleanor stood by her word and hadn't left the palace since that day. She barely left bed unless it was completely necessary.

The baby had recently started kicking. It would startle her when it happened, but also reminded her why she was putting her body through this torture. The delicate kicks were one of the few things that put a smile on her face nowadays.

The palace was decorated in a blanket of Christmas lights. It must have taken a small army to embellish the interior. A large Christmas tree was perched in the center of the main living room. It was so tall that it was impossible to see the top when standing underneath it. Presents scattered across the room in stacks. It looked as though Santa had already arrived a day early.

Eleanor mustered up the energy to take the shopping bags off their bedroom floor and begin wrapping. She started with her family's gifts and eventually got to Nina's. Wrapping the 'Elsa' Frozen doll, she envisioned what it would be like to have a daughter.

The baby gave a soft kick making her smirk. _Maybe_ the mini diva in her tummy was trying to give her a sign. She wished for it to be a girl deep down but of course would love it all the same if it turned out to be a boy.

She knew for a fact that Jasper hoped for a boy. In fact, she wasn't sure how he would react if it was a girl. He would most likely be the stereotypical protective dad with a shot gun at the door whenever a boy visited.

The thought made her lightly smile. Speaking of her husband, Jasper opened up the door to their bedroom. He had taken a half day at work since he wanted to spend Christmas Eve with his wife and their family. Candles were lit across their room and smelled of pine trees.

"Hey baby," he softly spoke taking off his jacket and earpiece. He was pleasantly surprised to see her out of bed. "What're you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she gazed up at him from the ground. Her legs were spread across the floor and her bulging stomach was almost big enough itself to rest on the ground. Wrapping paper with smiling snowmen littered across the floor and random pieces of tape stuck to the hardwood floor. There was even a piece in her hair. "I don't understand how people get joy out of doing this."

He crouched down next to her planting a kiss on her lips.

"You know you like it deep down.. somewhere in that stubborn head of yours."

She rolled her eyes at him as the baby simultaneously tapped the right side of her stomach.

"The baby's been kicking a lot tonight. I think _she_ knows it's Christmas Eve," she spoke lightly rubbing her tummy.

Jasper's eyes lit up putting his hands on her stomach. Nothing happened.

"Well I guess _he_ is as stubborn as his mother," he taunted her.

"Or as stubborn as _her_ father," she smiled.

After she finished wrapping the remainder of the presents, she asked Jasper to bring the new items they had purchased for the baby into the nursery. They nursery was directly to the left of their bedroom.

Staff had already put up wallpaper through the Princess' instruction with a neutral color of light purple. There were mini teddy bears embroidered in the molding of the walls. The room was still completely empty waiting for the parents to decorate the room exactly to their liking.

"This won't take too long," Jasper cheerfully spoke carrying the shopping bags into the room. "It's mostly stuffed animals and that type of crap anyways."

Eleanor snorted. "Well, the crib was just delivered today. Have fun assembling it my _handyman_."

His face dropped. "I've been working all day!" The adamant expression on his wife's face made him quickly change his mind. " _Fine_ , I'll go get it. But you fucking owe me later."

Eleanor's sex drive had pleasantly returned at a fast rate. They had looked up and experimented with different positions to get around her belly. In fact, if possible, their sex life was hotter than ever. Jasper _loved_ her pregnant body. He had more to grab onto and plus, the primal instinct that was embedded in him drove him wild.

The staff helped him carry in several large boxes containing different items. Eleanor was slightly stretching the truth when she said that only a crib had been delivered. There was at least 8 new large boxes delivered into the room.

Jasper dumped the contents of the crib across the floor. He let out a defeated sigh as though he was just instructed to solve a massive rubix cube.

Eleanor looked on amused as he scratched his head frozen in his position. Squatting with her knees, she began to take out the contents of the shopping bags. A stuffed giraffe, a plush teddy bear, a mobile that would rotate over the crib. A few gender neutral colored outfits.

An unbelievably soft blanket that Eleanor wanted to keep for herself. She took out a display of wall decals that had the outlines of an elephant, a lion, and a monkey. She peeled them from their surface and strategically placed them on the wall above where the crib would be placed.

She delicately cut the tape off of one of the boxes. It was a red lamp that had cute mini jungle animals across the base. She then proceeded to un-box the rocking chair pulling out the pieces.

After bending over the second time, a sharp spasm spread across her stomach. She let out a grunt.

Jasper instantly dropped what was in his hands.

"Are you okay?" he frantically asked as she lunged over in pain.

"Yeah.. I think so.." She could feel sweat forming on her brow. "I-I just think I need to sit down."

The nurse on duty came to visit her in their bedroom. Eleanor was laying in bed with a wet rag across her forehead. The pain had subsided and she insisted she was okay, but Jasper never listened to her.

After the nurse asked her a series of questions and ran a few tests, she reassured them that everything seemed to be just fine.

* * *

It was Christmas morning. Eleanor had rested in bed the remainder of the night just to make sure she would be able to partake in her family's activities today.

Liam, Willow, Helena, Allister, James, Nina, Jasper, and Eleanor sat around the vibrant Christmas tree.

There was nothing quite like Christmas. The day to be grateful for family and those you're surrounded by. The day to enjoy giving over receiving. The day for the Queen, the King, and the Princess, to wear their pajamas most of the day.

Nina was ecstatic to see that Santa had come the night before. She had a whole corner dedicated to herself with pink and purple wrapping paper. She hopped up and down not knowing which one to open first.

Knowing that James didn't have much money to afford on spoiling his little girl in gifts, it was apparent that aside from Eleanor, Helena was Nina's secret Santa this year. It made Eleanor smile at the thought. Her mother had come such a far way over the last few months.

They all watched as Nina tore through her presents. She opened up the 'Elsa' costume from Eleanor and Jasper.

"Can I go put it on daddy?!" she squealed running over to James.

"Of course sweetheart, but don't forget to thank Auntie Len and Uncle Jasper."

She stumbled over to them and gave them both a big squeeze. Jasper put his hand over Eleanor's as Nina ran off. He looked at her in the eyes and she could read exactly what he was thinking.

 _In one year from this exact time, we will be experiencing our child's first Christmas morning._

The adults exchanged gifts sorting through the piles of beautifully wrapped presents. Liam opened up his watch from his sister.

"You knew exactly the type I wanted! How did you know?" he beamed. Eleanor winked at Willow.

* * *

A couple months pass. Eleanor's body simply couldn't carry the baby around on her feet any longer. She was having several complications that concerned her doctors. Dr. Hudson put her on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy.

At first she was relieved. She wouldn't have to do much, wouldn't have to leave the palace and be tormented by the media vultures, and she could finally relax her back/feet.

However, after a week or so of being in bed other than to use the restroom, she quickly began to lose her mind.

Eleanor thoroughly resented pregnancy.

It had been 8 months since conception and her happiness had only been drained with each month that passed. She truly wanted to love the experience of being pregnant. But she simply never got there.

She loathed how much weight she had put on. No matter how many times Jasper could tell her how beautiful she was, it didn't matter. She missed her outfits. She missed being able to see her hip bones. She missed feeling sexy. She missed being 'herself'.

Her favorite time of the day was when Nina would come visit and watch her favorite shows with her around 3 P.M. She had always connected with James' daughter. It was an inspiration to keep going.

Eleanor _knew_ she loved her baby and always would.. but it didn't mean that she loved herself.

Sometimes she would get scary thoughts. What it would be like if she wasn't in the palace anymore. If the Princess happened to 'disappear'. But whenever she got those grim thoughts she would quickly think of her husband. He was the only one that consistently kept her sane throughout this experience.

James entered Jasper's office without knocking.

"Excuse me Mr. Frost," he paced up to his desk. Jasper was distracted with paper work. He quickly moved whatever he was looking at underneath a stack.

"Yes, Hill?"

"It's about Eleanor. I'm worried about her. I've seen the Princess in, how can I say it.. compromising situations." James wrung his hands together as he talked.

"I think we all have." Jasper waits for him to finish his point.

"I know that you're busy with.. whatever it's been recently," he references towards Jasper's desk. "But your wife needs you. More than ever. Nina hasn't seen her in almost a week. I sense something is wrong and I would never press if I thought otherwise."

"Okay, Hill," he sighed pushing the end of his pen against the desk. "Thank you for keeping an eye on her. I'll check in with her as soon as I can."

Jasper rubs his face with his hands. He hadn't been as attentive of a husband as he could have been recently. But if he was being honest with himself, it was extremely difficult on him ever since she got pregnant. He tried his hardest to bring her confidence up and to keep her hormonal swings at bay. But there was only so much that he could do for her. She would have to want to help herself.. Just as he had to help himself about a year prior.

On top of everything, he had been dealing with some very troubling information that he hadn't told anyone about. Especially not his wife.

His parents in Nevada who he hadn't spoken to in easily 5 years had been snaking their way back into his life. First it came as genuine. They wanted to see their son again. But once he pushed back and showed suspicion, they retaliated. Now it was snowballing into threats.. and blackmail. He had only learned from the best himself.

The paper he was reading when James walked in was a letter from his father. It simply instructed Jasper to let them come visit the royal family to 'meet their soon to be grandchild and daughter-in-law'. If they were not invited to do so, they threatened to expose everything possible about their son's past.. including things that his wife surely didn't know about herself.

Jasper called it an early night and took James' advice. He sent for someone to buy a beautiful bouquet of roses for Eleanor. After retrieving them he walked into their room. She was sound asleep. It was 5 o'clock. With James' words still in his ear, he cautiously examined her. She was grabbing onto something underneath the blankets.

Pushing the covers aside he found a framed picture of the both of them on their wedding day. Eleanor was beaming in the photo in her beautiful wedding gown, and Jasper was clutching onto her side.

Jasper knew why she was reflecting on this certain picture. As much as it hurt him to acknowledge it, he understood deep down that this was the last time his wife was truly _happy_. She hadn't been herself pretty much since this day over 8 months ago. It hurt his heart thinking about it. If Eleanor wasn't happy, Jasper could never be entirely happy himself. She _was_ his happiness.

He delicately took the picture from her hand and set it back on a table across the room. After resting the bouquet of flowers next to the picture he took off his jacket and undressed himself. He closed the blinds making the room dark. He lied down next to her and spooned her from behind. Inhaling her scent he kissed the back of her hair and closed his eyes. Jasper was ready for the day.. and for the month, to be over himself.

* * *

 **One Month Later**

Today was Eleanor's baby shower. It was being held in the royal gardens at noon. She was told that it would be okay to be on her feet for the length of the party.

Staff set up a beautiful scenery in the gardens. There were pink and blue cocktails, balloons, candles, plates, and napkins. There were white streamers lightly coating the shrubbery. Paper lanterns hovered over them illuminating the scenery. Balloons of all different colors floated along the tables and chairs.

Helena made sure everything turned out perfect for her daughter. The shower would be intimate and involve only her closest friends. Eleanor didn't want people to see her as it was.. she only wanted to be around those that she knew truly loved and didn't judge her.

Imogen showed up to the party with the cake. This special cake indicated whether they would be having a boy or a girl. At the end of the party they would cut the cake together. If the inside was colored blue it was a boy, and pink, a girl. The outside was covered in chocolate icing. Eleanor's mouth was already salivating at the sight of it.

"You look beautiful Lenny," Imogen grinned kissing her on the cheek.

Eleanor tried her hardest to put on a smile for her guests for the day. The party should only be for a few hours.. she could make it. She truly was excited to finally learn more about their child today, but it didn't mean that she was any more comfortable in her skin. In reality, her royal blue dress looked absolutely stunning on her and perfectly defined the baby bump.

Jasper was wearing a grey turtle neck sweater and blue jeans. His hair was tamed with gel.

He stayed by her side the whole day. He was sincerely having a blast being surrounded by the women celebrating their soon-to-be child. He was more eager than ever to finally find out the gender.

Liam and Willow showed up together with several gift bags in their hands. Eleanor noticed something flashy on Willow's hand. It was a _beautiful_ engagement ring encrusted with blue diamonds that sparkled against the sun.

"When were you going to tell me?" Eleanor hissed slapping her brother on the arm. It was the first genuine smile she had in days.

"This day is about you Lenny. This whole month is. Soak it up while you can," he smirked.

"Congratulations," Jasper smiled shaking his hand. Eleanor hugged Willow tight.

They _really_ were growing up. She was at her _baby shower_ with her _husband_ and Liam was _engaged_. A lot could certainly change within a year.

Being surrounded by all of her loved ones cheered Eleanor up. She was able to giggle again, and her sarcastic personality had made a reappearance. Jasper could confidently say that for once, his wife was cheerful and glowing.

They played a bunch of different 'baby themed' games that Eleanor frankly thought were silly but went along with because her mother planned them. All of the girls drank cocktails made by the bartender in baby bottles bottles while the guys drank beer. Eleanor had pomegranate juice in hers.

The sun started to set. Servers set up a buffet style dinner for them. They all filled up their plates and sat down at a long table that was big enough to fit all of the guests.

Eleanor harassed her brother and Willow to give her more details on the engagement. He had proposed to her on Valentine's Day a couple of month ago but wanted to keep it secret for a little while.

"I know how keeping it secret feels. I had to keep this one hush-hush as well," Eleanor referenced to Jasper. "Had to make sure he could _actually_ keep up with a girl like me."

"I think I passed that test a long time ago," he interjected giving her a big wet kiss on the cheek making her giggle.

A couple approached behind a rose bush toward the party. Jasper's expression dropped and his grip on Eleanor's hand loosened. The couple was holding hands and had friendly expressions on their faces. They looked in their mid 60's. The woman was carrying a large teddy bear with a bow wrapped around it.

James followed closely behind them escorting them into the party.

"Who's that?" Eleanor panicked reading the expression on her husband's face. He didn't reply.

"Hello," Helena stood up to greet them. "I didn't know we were expecting more company."

"Oh- I didn't think you were expecting us.. We didn't necessarily get an invitation. But we wouldn't miss our grand child's baby shower!" The woman cheerfully glanced over at Jasper.

Eleanor felt her heart drop to her stomach. She felt slightly dizzy as she rested her head in her hand. She knew within an instant who they were. But she didn't want to believe it.

"Hi there, I'm Mellissa Frost," the woman lightly spoke walking up to her. She looked exactly like her son. His striking blue eyes were surely inherited from her.

She silently shook her hand. She had simply no idea how to react. _What were they doing here?_

"Long time no see son," the man spoke extending his hand toward Jasper. He didn't grab it.

"Jim," he acknowledged. Jasper looked thoroughly frightened which made Eleanor all the more uneasy.

The rest of the table caught on to the awkwardness of the situation. They had fallen silent. Luckily Helena took over.

"I'm Eleanor's mother," she had a fake smile on her face while taking the bear out of Mellissa's hands. "It's nice to finally meet you. Please, grab a plate of food."

Eleanor was confident that her mum had a worse fake smile than she did herself.

"Alright everyone! It's finally time!" Imogen shouted over everyone carrying out the cake with Willow's help.

Jim and Mellissa declined the offer to eat and made themselves comfortable on one of the chairs.

Jasper finally loosened his shoulders up and stood up offering his hand to his bride. He put an arm around her escorting her to the center of the party. They stood in front of everyone as she peered into his eyes. It was absolutely torturous not knowing what was going through his mind.

Eleanor nervously rubbed her belly looking around at her guests (and some not so much 'guests') looking up at the them. Suddenly, a wave of optimism swept over her. She wasn't going to let his shady parents crash her party and ruin her day. Not at this point. She was ready to find out the gender of their baby and was more excited than ever.

Eleanor put on a real smile this time and grabbed onto Jasper's hand. Looking into her eyes seeing genuine happiness helped calm his thoughts and refocus. She took the knife and hovered it over the cake. He put his hand over hers guiding it through. They pulled out a small sliver.

It was pink.

"Oh shit Jasper!" Liam shouted as the girls squealed.

Eleanor couldn't mask her emotions as tears of joy streamed down her face. She was going to have a baby girl, just as she had hoped. She looked up at Jasper's face who was visibly perplexed yet amused at the same time.. Just as she suspected in the event that it was a girl.

"How are you going to handle two of us now?" Eleanor pointed at him laughing harder than she had in months. His expression was priceless.

Jasper grinned picking the piece of cake up and smashed it in her face. She wiped it off and quickly flung it onto his. He grabbed onto her wrists trying to prevent her from grabbing more ammunition to throw at him. They were both laughing so hard they were red in the face.

In this moment, everyone else at the party disappeared around them. It was just the three of them. Jasper and his two girls.


	21. The End and The Beginning

**I came to this site almost 2 months ago not sure what fanfiction was. I was captivated by the stories, and the freedom to express our ideas and fantasies about our favorite shows/characters. (Jaspenor, duh!) Getting back into writing has been amazing and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. I never thought this story would get such a reaction, and I wanted to thank everyone for their support throughout this journey. I will be focusing on my other fanfic from here and I look forward to reading everyone else's stories on our favorite couple! Happy reading.**

 **-Note: I don't know how the monarchy fully works. I'm American and it all fascinates me, yet confuses the hell out of me.. anyway, some of the content may not be accurate. ;)**

* * *

 **5 Years Later**

The alarm clock went off. It was 5 A.M. Jasper rolled over and slammed it off letting out a grunt. He hadn't been up this early in a long time.

"The day's finally come, baby." He kissed his wife on the cheek. She rubbed her eyes before letting out a drawn out yawn.

"Wake up Kami," Eleanor whispered kissing her daughter on the forehead. "It's time to get ready for school." It was their daughter's first day of Kindergarten. Jasper walked from behind and swooped his little girl up from her bed.

"But I'm scared daddy." Her large turquoise eyes left her father powerless. She had the ability to command all of his attention with just one look. Just like her mother did.

"It's okay sweet heart. You're going to do great," he softly spoke setting her down on her feet. Eleanor walked across her bedroom shifting through her dresser. She chose a miniature pink dress and tiny black shoes. She had grown more fond of colors since becoming a mother.

After helping her get dressed Eleanor took her to the bathroom. She brushed her pin straight brunette hair and swept her bangs out of her eyes. She then placed a pink bow into her hair at Kami's request. Jasper was making all of them breakfast. He made Kami her favorite breakfast; sunny side up eggs with toast.

They sat down in their kitchen at the circular dining table. Kami swung her legs under her seat waiting for her dad to bring the food over.

"Remember, you have to finish all of your breakfast," Eleanor nodded her head as Jasper set three plates down.

"Why?"

"To grow big and strong like your daddy," Jasper interjected. Eleanor rolled her eyes.

He had grown a 'dad beard' over the years which she was conflicted whether she liked or not. He looked sexy regardless, but she still hadn't gotten used to him with a goatee.

Eleanor's appearance had changed dramatically herself since they left the palace. She cut her hair so it reached her shoulders and now had side bangs. Her makeup routine would usually consist of a few coats of mascara and _maybe_ a bit of eyeliner if she was in the mood. Eye shadow and lipstick were only used for important events.

Her attire had changed as well. She still held her commitment to black garments, but wore much simpler outfits. Most days she would wear a tank top or shirt, with a pair of jeans. Nothing too over the top. She saved wearing dresses, and glittery ones at that, only if they were attending something back at the palace for her family.

A lot had changed within the last five years. Once Liam and Willow got married, they planned to have a child themselves. Willow gave birth to a beautiful baby boy three years ago. They named him Robert. Prince Robert Simon Henstridge.

Whenever Jasper and Eleanor would visit the palace, they would show Kami her the old nursery and remind her of certain memories. Robert absolutely _loved_ Kami and they got along famously. It reminded Eleanor of herself and her twin.

Eleanor made the decision shortly after giving birth to Kami that she eventually wanted to move out of the palace and give their child a different life than she had. A normal life. A life without constant scrutiny and scandal. They moved as close as possible to the palace when she turned 2. Helena wouldn't let them move any further.

She was a phenomenal grandmother to both of her grandchildren. It gave _her_ the second chance to be the best motherly figure to her abilities that she always had deep down. She and Allister married about four years ago, and Eleanor was extremely fond of her step father. He was the perfect man for her mother. He looked after, protected her, and deeply loved her for _who she was_ and not her titles _._ He reminded her of Jasper to a tee.

Knowing that her brother and sister-in-law were having a son, Eleanor wasn't in line to the throne anyway. This helped her slight level of guilt of leaving her life at the palace behind.

She now had her own family. An amazing, loving, protective husband with whom she had the most active sex life parents could possibly have. And then she had her perfect little girl. They were all she needed.

Nina was now 13 years old and James had made enough money at the palace to buy a small house for the two of them after retiring. He had also met a lovely woman who he had been seeing now for two years. Eleanor approved of her as Nina's potential step mother one day. James and his girlfriend would bring his daughter over once a week to play with Kami. Nina took on the big sister role and would watch her every move. Eleanor was forever grateful for not only James, but for her daughter. She didn't know where she would be at this point in time if she had never met the two of them.

Jasper came clean to Eleanor about his parents blackmailing him. He couldn't hold it any longer from her. He wasn't sure what they were capable of and he wanted to make sure she was in the know. Luckily for the both of them, his parents didn't turn out to be as cold hearted as he assumed them to be. They too wanted a second chance, and simply wanted to be a part of their son and his family's life. Their empty threats were just an attempt to get a way back in. They still lived in the U.S., but Jasper took his girls to visit them twice.

Liam gave the nation hope again. He was the King that the people had yearned for, ever since Simon passed. He was a spitting image of his father. Humble, caring, and selfless. Willow made a wonderful Queen herself, mirroring her husband's qualities.

The Henstridge/Frost/Lacey families were finally at peace. And _truly_ happy.

* * *

"I promised myself I wasn't going to cry," Jasper choked over his words watching his little girl walk away from them with her pink back pack covered in cartoon puppies. She entered the classroom with the help of her new teacher.

"Oh, you are _such_ a pussy sometimes," Eleanor smirked grabbing on to his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder. A few tears streamed down her face too. "I honestly don't know what the bloody hell we are going to do today.. we have the _whole_ day to ourselves."

Jasper agreed with his wife's decision years ago on transitioning their lives outside of the palace. As much as he loved being the head of security detail, it was straining and hectic. Once they moved into their new house he decided to take a few years off before finding work.

Eleanor had more than enough money to support the family for the rest of their lives, but Jasper was intent on starting a new job at some point. Taking a completely different direction, he wanted to do something in the field of psychology. His therapist Dr. Holt had helped him through his darkest hours and he wanted to do the same for others.

They decided to take a stroll in the town celebrating their daughter. She was growing up at such a fast pace. Jasper seemed to have a rougher time coming to terms with this. He was absolutely captivated by Kami the second she was born. Sure, he was scared and unsure of his fathering abilities over a little girl..but he had exceeded above all expectations.

"Are you excited to go back to the palace tonight?" he asked forking a piece of lettuce.

"Yes, but I'm anxious."

"I understand, but I will be there with you. And plus.. Kami is excited more than ever. It's different this time Len."

"I agree." She smiled across the table at her handsome husband.

She never lost sight of how dear he was to her heart. He essentially saved her life the night she overdosed over 6 years ago. She was completely lost when they first met. But he mended her heart. He helped her through her demons. Although he had his fuck ups, his intentions were always pure when it came to Eleanor. He loved her more than he loved himself.. and that was rare to find. She would never take that for granted.

Picking up Kami from school, Eleanor reminded her that they would be going back to the 'castle' tonight. Kami was extremely excited. She told them about her first day of class. She said she made a bunch of new friends, including a few boys who played tag and chased her around at lunch time.

Jasper's knuckles turned white clenching onto the steering wheel. Eleanor lightly slapped his arm.

"She's in Kindergarten babe. It's only going to get worse," she smirked speaking quiet enough so Kami couldn't hear them. He looked over at her with his eyebrows furrowed.

They got back to their house.. better classified as a mansion. Kami instantly chucked her backpack across the room before climbing up the stairs.

"Kami!" Jasper hollered. "I think you should come downstairs and see what mommy and daddy got you as a present for your first day at school!"

"A surprise?!" she instantly turned around sliding down the steps.

Her parents led her into the kitchen. There was a muffled whimper noise coming from a box like shape covered in a towel. Kami waddled over to the towel and ripped it off. A Yorkshire terrier puppy was waiting, wagging its tail and panting with its tongue fully hanging out.

Kami let out a squeal before jumping up and down.

"A puppy?! Oh my gosh!"

Eleanor giggled looking over at Jasper who had a grin spread across his face. Nothing made them happier than seeing their little girl excited.

"I'm going to name him Edward," she squeaked.

"Whatever you want to name him darling.." Eleanor shrugged her shoulders at Jasper.

* * *

They were supposed to arrive at the palace in one hour. Eleanor frantically ran around the bathroom trying to find her diamond earrings. She was wearing a navy blue strapless gown and black heels. She put her hair up in a ponytail and did her makeup in a similar fashion as years ago. Heavier eyeliner than normal and a smoky eye.

"Babe they're right here," Jasper softly spoke picking them up from on top a dresser. He was wearing a black and white tuxedo.

"Holy _shit_ ," his expression dropped looking her up and down.

Eleanor gave him a crooked smile retrieving the earrings from his hand.

He walked up against her and brushed his fingers through her bangs. "How am I going to contain myself with you looking like this around me tonight?"

"Yes, I know.. the ponytail." She rolled her eyes.

"I am truly the luckiest man on the planet," he whispered gazing into her eyes. He placed his hands on her bottom and brought her closer pushing his lips against hers. She let out a squeal as he picked her up from underneath her shoulders and legs.

"You know.. Kami will end up playing with Robert for a while. Or Helena will want to spend time with her at some point."

She nodded her head hypnotized by his eyes.

"I'm going to take you back into your old room and fuck you how I used to.. when I first met you," he softly spoke putting her back down on her feet. "How does that sound?"

Eleanor furiously nodded her head before kissing him again. She could _never_ get enough of this man.

* * *

The three of them entered their Bentley. Kami insisted on bringing Edward to show Robert, and they allowed it. She was wearing a purple dress tonight with a matching purple bow.

They arrived at the palace shortly thereafter and were greeted by two new security guards that neither of them recognized. One extended their hand helping Eleanor out of the car. Jasper picked up Edward and held onto Kami's hand. Edward consistently licked his face making his face scrunch up.

"Lenny!" Liam shouted from the entrance. Willow was standing beside him and little Robert stood between their legs.

"Puppy?!" Robert squealed as Jasper neared them.

"This is Edward," Kami informed her cousin as her dad put him down. They bolted past them giggling chasing after him.

"No love for Uncle Liam?" he yelled after them. He was beaming. She had never seen her brother so happy. She gave him a big squeeze while Jasper hugged Willow.

"Eleanor!" Helena greeted her with Allister close behind. She kissed her daughter on the cheek. "You look lovely."

"Doesn't she?" Jasper's eyes twinkled as he looked as his wife.

They all sat down for dinner at the main dining room in the palace. A huge feast was presented before them. If there was one thing Eleanor could say she missed about the palace, it would be this type of treatment. The surplus of food cooked to perfection by the staff. She was still getting used to cooking with Jasper's help.

Kami and Robert had a full conversation going on between the two of them throughout dinner. They kept asking if they could play with the puppy. But their parents told them they had to finish their food first.

Jasper and Eleanor brought their family up to speed with everything in their life. Kami's first day of Kindergarten, his plans to go into psychology, and her idea of volunteering at rehabs when she had down time.

"There was something else that we wanted to tell all of you," Jasper smiled as he put his fork down. He looked over to Eleanor who was beaming herself.

"What is it?" Helena hurriedly asked.

Eleanor stood up rubbing over her belly which they now recognized was slightly protruding. "I'm 2 months along."

Everyone gasped and Helena started tearing up. "Three grandchildren?"she sobbed. "How could I be so lucky?"

Eleanor laughed at her mother's sappiness.

"That's fantastic you guys." Liam and Willow got out of their seat to kiss them on the cheek.

"Fingers crossed it's a boy this time," Jasper chuckled. Eleanor slapped him on the arm.

" _Or_ you could get stuck with _three_ girls, how do you fancy that?"

Everyone broke out in laughter. Eleanor looked around the table. Her family was just where they needed to be. Liam was happily married to a wonderful woman, her mother had finally come to peace with herself and found true love again.. and then there was Jasper. There were not enough words to describe how much she loved him.

* * *

Jasper and Eleanor stood out on the balcony. They looked over the glistening lights of the city and the lavish royal garden that spread before it. It was hard to believe that this was their life for so many years. The ups, and the dramatic downs that had taken place in this palace.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and peered into his eyes.

"I was the Princess," she started speaking, her voice hoarse. "I had this beautiful palace to call my home for so many years. Drugs, alcohol, partying, money, extravagant outfits.. and I was never able to find myself. I was never comfortable in my skin. Until I met you Jasper. I don't know where I would be if I had never met your shady ass," she smirked as a single tear dropped from her eye.

"I love you so much Eleanor. I told you I would never give up on you, didn't I?"

She shook her head wiping another tear from her eye.

He put his hand on the back of her head and firmly pushed his lips against hers.

"I keep my promises," he whispered against her lips. "And what did I promise you earlier? Now let's get to your room."


End file.
